The Missing Piece
by LunaGem
Summary: While Natsume was on the way back from a mission, he stumbled upon Mikan who was passed out cold on the ground. Unable to leave her alone, he took her into Gakuen Alice, a school for shape shifters. Taking care of a full-human is already a hassle, and now people are coming after her. As he takes on the role of being her protector, he finds himself getting swept away by her...
1. Chapter 1 - The Meeting

**Authoress' s note:**

**Hi everyone! I'm back :3 Man...School just started and I delayed this story's publish date. I wanted to make sure that I was at least halfway done before publishing this story so that I wouldn't leave this story hanging! **

**I just wanted to say thanks to the people who reviewed and Favorited my previous story, and also those who followed me! You guys have encouraged me to keep my story going! **

**I may not be the best writer but I hope you enjoy this story! It's rated M for a reason :) *wink wink* **

**Reviews are appreciated!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice, I only own this plot :D**

* * *

When the world was created, two types of humans were created. One of which possessed the ability to shape shift into the animals within them. Those who possess this ability are called Alice, whereas those who do not are termed as full humans.

Since a long time ago, full humans and Alices have been at odds with one another. The two hunt and kill each other, thus building up animosity between them. Although Alices are stronger than full humans, as time evolved, full humans have developed ways to counter their overwhelming strength. Due to the fact that the full humans outnumber the Alices, many species of Alices have been wiped out by them. Thus, various branches of academies have been set up to shelter these Alices to protect them from full humans. Welcome to the Academy of Shifters, where students possess the ability to shape-shift into the animal within them.

Welcome to... Gakuen Alice.

* * *

The trees danced as the cold wind glided through the misty forest, howls echoed throughout the forest. Howls that may have come from the wind, or from the dark creatures at night. The light from the moon that hit the ground slowly faded away, as the moon was concealed by the ominous dark clouds. Normal vision was rendered useless at this moment, leaving only one's smell, touch, hearing and taste as an option. The leaves were rustling and the night grew even colder with every passing moment.

In the distance, a lone figure could be seen traveling through the ghost-like forest. The figure was agile, moving as fast as a wild animal. It moved through the forest as if the lack of vision didn't hinder it because its sharp eyes gave it the power of sight at night. The figure that was moving at god-like speed suddenly came to a halt, as if something blocked its way. When the dark clouds revealed the moon, the forest lit up, exposing the hidden figure.

'It' was a massive four legged beast with glossy black fur attempting to cover its spotted back, and had pointed ears that gave it its super sharp hearing, crimson orbs that shone in the dark and limbs that displayed its vast strength. It stood tall and proud on all fours, as if it were the king of the forest. This creature was commonly termed as the "ghost of the forest", it was the rarely seen and only heard of, black panther.

What would seem like a two hundred pound black panther suddenly morphed into something entirely different, originally four legged became two legged, its paws turned into human hands, its majestic body became toned and muscular and its black fur changed into raven hair so dark it was difficult to spot at night. The only thing that didn't change was the ferocity of those crimson red orbs that sent shivers down the spine. In that spot was no longer a ferocious beast, but a young and handsome human male. Properly clothed.

_Bzz,bzz. _

The human male whipped out a phone from his pocket and glanced at the text.

_Sender: Persona_

_Monday, 12.22AM_

_Good job Natsume, head back to the academy now._

He kept his phone back into his pocket and looked down at the ground. He folded his arms and stared at the girl who was passed out cold on the ground. Why on earth was she in the middle of the forest anyway? He crouched down and tapped her face.

"Oi."

_Silence..._

"Oi, wake up." He demanded, but didn't get any response from the brunette lying on the ground. He stood up and was about to desert her but his conscience pulled him back. The girl was covered in cuts and bruises, some were mere abrasions while other were quite serious, like the wound on her forehead where blood seemed to be gushing out from.

"Damn it." _Just my luck. _He lifted the girl up and headed back to the academy.

* * *

Natsume entered the academy stealthily without anyone noticing, while carrying the damsel in distress. Where should he bring the girl to? He definitely had to take care of her wounds, but bringing outsiders into the academy was a violation of the rules. Looks like his room was the only choice.

He laid her gently on his bed, and sat down on the bed. What should he do now? He knew first aid but with wounds like hers, it was definitely out of his abilities. He stared at her face and leaned in, sniffing her neck in a non-sexual manner. _Full-human. But she smells kind of like a wolf too... _After sniffing her, he leaned back into a sitting position. He took out his phone and dialed the only guy that was good at healing wounds. _And giving pain._

Moments later, Subaru Imai, the Student Council President, walked into his room.

"...You look fine to me." Subaru looked at Natsume from head to toe, searching for any wounds.

"Not me. Her." Natsume stood up, revealing the unconscious brunette that was lying on his bed.

Subaru patted Natsume on his shoulder, "You've grown up Natsume." Natsume clicked his tongue, swatting Subaru's hand away.

Subaru smiled mockingly, he'd always found joy in teasing a fellow feline. They were just so fun to play with. Subaru's eyes traveled up and down the brunette's body, checking the wounds on her.

"Laceration on her forehead, not too deep. Some minor cuts here and there. She'll survive." Subaru started to perform his medical skills on her, almost like using magic on her. That man lived up to his title of 'God's hands'. No wound could defeat him. It's no wonder this bespectacled man with pretty violet irises, that drew people in, grabbed the hearts of girls. His cool and calm demeanor that screamed 'nothing is impossible for me!' lit up the girls' hearts on fire, then put it out with his one-word rejection. What a devil, it must run in the blood.

"I found her lying on the forest floor out cold," Natsume shrugged, "Couldn't leave her there."

"You do understand that I have a duty to report this to authorities' right?" He let out a low growl, almost sounding like a warning to Natsume. "Of all people, you just had to pick up a full human." Looks like Subaru also noticed the unmistakable human scent coming from the girl, "You and her better be prepared."

"Hn." Natsume gave a cold reply, being as stoic as ever.

After what seemed like an eternity, the girl on the bed let out a groan. She slowly opened her eyes, bringing the world in focus. Where was she? What was she doing here? Millions of questions flooded her mind which was throbbing slightly, as if something hard had hit her before. She slowly sat up and surveyed her surroundings. The room was extravagantly large like a king's bedroom, but it had a lonely edge to it. The walls were dull and white, and was not decorated with pictures or paintings. Two words to describe this room: Uselessly empty.

Bed, check.

Table, check.

Chair, check.

Sofa, check.

That was all. She thought that the owner of the room probably didn't live here, or rarely came home.

"You're awake." She jerked at the sudden masculine voice that came from the direction of the window. It was then she realized that she wasn't alone in the room. There was a guy sitting on the window ledge all along! The raven haired guy opened his eyes and looked at her. She almost let out a scream due to the surprise, when all of a sudden, he disappeared. The next moment, she found herself pinned on the bed with one of his large hands holding her wrists above her head, and the other covering her mouth.

"Don't scream." He said, with a deep voice, and glared at her to give her a warning. She nodded desperately.

_Oh my god, who is this hunk? Why is he doing this to me? Someone help me! My head huuuuurts... _The girl was flustered, unsure of what she should do in this situation. Especially since a gorgeous young man who looked like he went to the gym every day, held her in this inappropriate position.

"Only answer my questions, got it?"

She nodded again.

He slowly removed his hand from her mouth to allow her to talk. She exhaled deeply because she was holding her breath all this time. Everything just happened so fast, she didn't have time to breathe.

"Who are you?"

"I..." the brunette thought deep and hard, as if she was searching her mind for the answer. "Oh! I'm Mikan. I think."

"Why were you in the forest?" he questioned, demanding nothing but the answer.

"I...I don't know…" She shut her eyes, trying hard to remember. But the pain in her head wouldn't let her do so.

"You don't know? Don't lie!" Natsume bellowed, and then gripped her wrists harder, and glared at her with fiery crimson orbs that seemed to know all the hardships in the world.

If looks could kill, Mikan would have just entered the depths of hell.

"I really don't know! I can't remember! Please! You're hurting me..." she pleaded desperately while trembling, tears escaped from her eyes because she was frightened out of her wits by this handsome stranger who was interrogating -not questioning- her, in this awkward position.

The mix of fear and embarrassment was killing her. What did she do to deserve this?

Seeing that Mikan wasn't lying, he let her wrists go and sat upright. She did the same, rubbing her sore wrists as she sat up.

"Look, all I remember is that I was being chased...by someone...something." Mikan thought long and hard. Who was that someone..? Or rather something... It was something more deadly, more ferocious...Like a beast. She recalled those fangs, the snarling and snapping of jaws, and the weight of it as it pounced on her. Her hair stood up on its ends, and she felt a cold shiver down her spine.

Natsume waited silently for her answer. The brunette looked pale, as white as a piece of paper.

"A beast..." the words slipped out of her mouth unintentionally, not knowing that she said anything. Natsume's eyes widened by a fraction but his face kept calm. He knew it was an Alice at work. He could literally smell the damn wolf scent mixed with her own. It was not surprising to see Alices and full humans killing one another, after all, this was how the world was like now. It was a good thing regular humans couldn't recognize alices in their human forms, if not the word 'peace' would be nonexistent.

"Oi Polka" he said, removing the threat in his voice.

"Polka?" she questioned, looking at him with confused doe eyes.

"A bit too old to be wearing Polka dot printed panties huh?"

"WHA-WHAT! PERVERT!" Mikan's face turned red like a tomato, pressing her hands down on her skirt to cover herself.

He chuckled slightly, so slightly that it was hard to catch it, especially in the dark. But somehow Mikan was able to. Her heart squeezed at the sight of his smile, which disappeared quickly.

"You have two choices now. One, stay at the Academy and live a difficult life. You, a full-human, would be in a vulnerable position in Gakuen Alice."

"Why?" she questioned, interrupting him. Right, Natsume forgot she suffered from amnesia. He explained everything to her, starting from the history of Alices and full-humans, and how the both of them hated and fought one another, leading to the animosity today. She remained silent and listened with utmost focus.

"Your second choice, leave this school and survive on your own. I'll bring you out. So which will you choose?"

Mikan frowned at her dilemma. Should she stay? Or should she go? Both of the options seemed bad to her! She wasn't good at thinking and all this thinking was surely not healthy for her brain.

_Aish! Screw it!_

She took a deep breath, "I will..."

* * *

**Stay tuned for more adventures ;) Thanks for reading! Sorry if it's too long!**

**Image credits to: eiChi17**


	2. Chapter 2 - First Kiss Stolen

**Authoress's Note:**

**Hey guys I'm back! Thanks for the follows!**

**I'm done editing chapter 2 ++ woohoo! Pretty free because I sprained my toe so I'm like on the chair 24/7 :O Well without further ado, enjoy chapter 2! ^^**

**Please do review :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

"I will stay. I know it's tough but... I have nowhere else to go" she mumbled the last part, but it was no trouble for his sharp cat ears.

"Nowhere else to go huh?" _Sounds like my life story. _Natsume gazed out of the window, remembering the past that drove him to become like this now.

Born as a Black Panther, his fate was to be shunned, alone, and feared. Even in his own leap, which was also known as his family, he was feared because of his strength and power. During his childhood, he remembered the faces of the adults and kids when he approached them.

_"Don't get close to him.", "He's the unlucky kid my mom told me about!", "Scary..."_

Natsume shut his eyes as the voices in his head echoed. Was he really that scary? It wasn't as if he was going to mass murder them or something. As the time passed, he got used to the malicious comments that fed his ears till they were full. Additionally, it wasn't as if it was abnormal for a panther to be alone. Lions, tigers, leopards and other felines were all solitary creatures. He was just... more solitary than the rest, as his parents and sister left the world first, leaving him behind.

_Nobody liked you._ His inner demon pointed out a painfully obvious fact. _Yeah, that's why I left my leap._

Natsume decided to abandon the leap that abandoned him first, and enrolled into Gakuen Alice, a shelter for Alices. Not that life was sweet-like those M&Ns he loved- here, but at least he could distract himself by going on missions that the Academy sent him on. Missions to hunt down the stupid and ignorant full-humans that were intent on making the world a 'better' place by wiping out Alices. Such daft thoughts, they didn't realize the implications at all.

Luckily for him, Ruka was there for him. Ruka never questioned him, and silently stayed by his side, waiting for him to open up. Which he eventually did. Natsume would kill anyone who dared to hurt his gentle friend.

"Uhm..." a honey sweet voice snapped him out of his reverie. He turned to look at her.

"So what am I supposed to do now?" she asked, playing with her small fingers.

_01.32 AM._ _I need my rest, especially after the mission. _"Sleep." He said, and then stood up and was about to walk to the sofa when he felt a tug on his shirt.

"What now?" he grumbled. This woman sure was needy!

"I can't let you sleep on the sofa! Not after you saved me Mr...!" Mikan trailed off, not knowing how to address him.

"...Hyuuga Natsume."

"Right. Not after you saved me Hyuuga-san!" She glanced up at him with those cute puppy dog eyes that was a special talent of the dog Alices. Something pricked his heart when he looked into those eyes.

"I'll take the sofa, and you'll take your bed!"

"In this situation, a man takes the sofa." Natsume happened to be termed as cold, and not cad.

"But I insist Hyuuga-san!"

Natsume ran his hand through his hair, and sighed. It seems like this stubborn woman was intent on not letting him prove his manliness. Plus what's up with the 'Hyuuga-san'? It was way too formal.

"Fine." He turned around, and shoved her to the side of the bed to make room for him. "_We _take the bed. There. Win-win."

"No-!" Tired of hearing her complaints, he grabbed her chin and kissed her. Her eyes widened. It was a quick, brief kiss meant to shut her up, but her soft lips seemed to be asking him for more. He wanted to go on kissing her, and maybe lick that upper lip. Feeling his alice demanding to come out and take over, he held his panther back, reminding himself to have self-control.

"Make any more noise and I'll kiss you again." He let go of her, and turned his face away. "Go sleep. _Now._" He meant what he said, because he didn't know what he would do if she didn't. Now why did he have to act smart and share the bed? He groaned, _what a torture._

Mikan covered her mouth with her hands, her heart in a jumbled mess. What did this man, whom she apparently just met for less than a day, do to her? How dare he have the audacity to-! Although she was furious at his action, she couldn't deny that being kissed by this mysterious raven-haired man with dangerously sexy crimson orbs and- What was she saying? How could she have such wanton thoughts? She berated herself in her mind, and forced herself to sleep. If she actually could.

* * *

As light shone on Mikan's face, she covered her eyes with her forearm to bring back the much needed darkness. After a few moments, she felt something silky rub against her legs. Something was moving against her, and surprisingly it felt good. She wanted more of it. Her eyes still shut, she moved her hands to stroke the silky thing that felt like fur. Fur? She must be dreaming. Yup, dreams are supposed to feel good. She twirled and twisted with the fur, playing with it like it was her favorite toy. The sides of her lips curled upwards momentarily, and then downwards.

What was that sound?

It was a low growl, no, more like a purr.

She opened her eyes in shock, her mind finally alert. _C-cat! MASSIVE cat! Snuggled against me! Aww so cute! Wait what am I thinking? Is this cat supposed to be Hyuuga-san? _She looked at him in his shifted form, up and down. She should feel scared but strangely, she wasn't. Instead, she thought he looked beautiful in his majestic form. The way his body moved up and down as he breathed, the movement of his fur that swayed gently left and right, the strange purring when she stroked him.

Suddenly, a new sound entered her ears. It was rapid, fast, and wild. And it sounded like it was coming from her.


	3. Chapter 3 - I won't give in!

**Authoress's Note:**

**And chapter 3 is up~ I think this story is gonna be pretty long looking at the number of chapters I have :O but nvm the more the merrier right? :D Also, thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites! I'm so happy :)  
**

**Without further ado, I hope you enjoy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

Mikan rushed to the bathroom to get ready, before the lazy cat woke up. She didn't want him to find out the awkward position they were in this morning. Besides, it looked like he lacked sleep so she didn't want to wake him up. Moments later, Natsume finally got up and trudged to the bathroom to get ready as well. He then shifted back to his human form, forgetting that Mikan was in the room as well.

"Kyaa!" Mikan screamed, covering her eyes. Her face felt hot and she could feel the blood rushing to her head. She just didn't know where to put her eyes on. Although she did feel like looking at those strong abs again. Thinking of his abs, she blushed even further.

"Oh." Natsume casually said, as if it were very natural to be in his birthday suit.

_Once a pervert, always a pervert. _Mikan shook her head.

The two of them headed to the Principal's office to hear the verdict on what was going to happen to Mikan. A young man with light blond hair and blue eyes sat at the Principal's table. The name plate on his table stated, 'Kazumi Yukihara'. Mikan couldn't believe such a young man was actually the High School Principal! He looked like he was in his mere 20s! Mikan was busy gaping at him when the Principal cleared his throat.

"Mikan I presume?"

Mikan looked at Natsume with a raised brow, but Natsume ignored her.

"I shall be quick since school is starting soon," he said, "starting from today, you are officially a student of Gakuen Alice. Since you do not have a last name, your name shall be 'Sakura Mikan'."

"Sakura Mikan... Am I really going to study here?" she squealed, excited that she was going start a fun new life.

"Yes, but do not expect that you'll have a smooth sailing school life," he looked at her sternly and seriously, "many students here hate full-humans, so they might pull something on you."

"I...I understand! Hyuuga-san already explained it to me. I'll try my best!" she said confidently, not showing a hint of fear on her face.

"Good," the principal smiled, already liking her bravery, "that's why Natsume will be your partner to take care of you. You will be joining his class."

"Hah?" Natsume suddenly voiced out.

"You heard me."

"Why do I have to be her partner?!"

"You found her. She's your responsibility now." the principal smirked, as if he had the upper hand. Natsume was too shocked to counter him, not that he could actually.

"Tch, whatever." he grumbled, stuffing his hands in his pocket while walking out of the room. Mikan thanked the principal and left the room too. She felt a little guilty for being a burden on Natsume but she really didn't have anyone to rely on now.

As she got out of the room, she found herself in an empty hallway. _What a jerk! He just left me behind! _Natsume was nowhere to be found, leaving her all alone with no directions. She snorted, _Talk about responsibility!_

She decided to just go straight down the hallway since that seemed like the best way to go, but then the hallway suddenly split into two opposite directions. _Great...left or right?_ Oh she hated this so much. She looked left, then right, then left again, and then right. Her mind was like a ticking bomb ready to explode. _I can't make up my mind!_

As she was stuck in a dilemma, she suddenly noticed a figure approaching her from her left. _W-who is that?_ She scrutinized the figure that was coming closer and closer. It, or rather he, was a blond and beautiful young man with jade green pupils. He didn't look like a student because he was just wearing a white shirt paired with purple jeans and brown shoes. Natsume sure didn't dress like this.

Maybe he was a teacher! Great! She could use this chance to ask him for help.

Mikan gathered up her courage and approached the dashing blond man first. "Excuse me...Do you happen to be a teacher here?"

When he looked down at her, his eyes widened and he zoned out for a moment. His face was completely blank. _Is there something wrong with my face?_ There was a sudden burst of self-consciousness and she touched her face all over. The man suddenly snapped out of his trance, and he flashed a bright smile so blinding she wished she had sunglasses.

"Oh! Yes I am, can I help you?" he spoke in a nice and smooth voice that was really soothing to her ears.

"Yes! I'm supposed to join er...Hyuuga-san's class today," _But that jerk abandoned me._ "But I seem to be lost."

"You must be Sakura Mikan! What a cutie pie~" He pinched her soft cheeks, and pulled it.

"Erm...?" Mikan had no idea what was going on now. Why was this man pinching her cheeks?

"Oh, pardon me~ I'm your homeroom teacher, Narumi."

"Really? Oh how lucky! Hajimemashite Narumi-sensei!" Mikan grin widely at him, thank god her homeroom teacher seemed like a nice guy! She felt like she would get along well with him.

"If you face any problems in class," he brought his hand up to his bangs and flicked it, "you can always talk to me okay?" And then he winked hearts at her, oozing pheromones everywhere. Mikan swore she saw red roses in the background, and Narumi-sensei became very sparkly all of a sudden.

"Hai!" she was so glad she could rely on someone. And even better, her homeroom teacher was so kind to her! She liked him already.

"Shall we go?" Narumi extended his hand and held her hand in his, and pulled her along. She didn't even have time to reply and just let her affectionate homeroom teacher drag her along.

* * *

As she stood outside the door of her classroom, she suddenly felt her heartbeat accelerating. _What if they don't like me? Or what if I screw up my introduction? Ahhh I feel so nervous!_ The door of the classroom suddenly morphed into what looked like the gates of hell. It became big and towered over her. Somehow, getting into the classroom seemed like an impossible step now.

Mikan stood rooted to the ground, unable to move. Just then, a big warm hand rested on her shoulders.

"Don't worry! I'm pretty sure you'll make friends soon!" Narumi smiled at her, and he didn't look like he was lying just to cheer her up.

_Narumi-sensei..._"Uhn!" She made a 'fighting' pose to brace herself, and showed Narumi that she was ready.

Narumi entered the room first, and told her to stay outside until he cued her.

_Ganbare Mikan!_

"Ahem, attention class!" Narumi, the homeroom teacher of 1-A, clapped his hands to draw attention to himself. "We have a new friend joining us today! Someone...rather special!"

Murmurs traveled throughout the classroom, everybody was making a commotion on who would be their new classmate. Was it a scary bear this time? An over-friendly dog? A sexy wolf? Or would it be a cold feline again?

Eager anticipation showed on everyone's face when the door opened. Their noses perked up when they caught a whiff of Mikan's scent, and their faces changed into frowns in a split second.

"Hi everyone! I'm Sakura Mikan! Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!" she said with a wide smile plastered on her face, as if she was totally unaffected by the laser beams coming from her classmates. She felt uneasy, but she wouldn't show it. She knew this would happen, so she already prepared herself for it. _Don't mind it Mikan!_

"Well aren't you bubbly? Your seat is..." Narumi scanned for an empty spot, "beside Natsume-kun, your partner!"

The girls in the class gasped, words of complaints flooded the room because it was unfair that a new kid, not to mention full-human, got to sit beside _their _Natsume.

A certain green-haired girl with curly front hair could be seen at the corner of the class, biting her nails, glaring so hard that her eyes were popping out. How dare she sit with THE Natsume?! The only one allowed to sit beside Natsume-sama is Ruka-sama! Even other Alices seemed normal compared to them, how can an inferior girl like her be his partner? _I, Sumire Shoda, will never accept her! _

Sumire made her own personal goal: Eliminate Sakura Mikan!

At her seat, Mikan was all fidgety. Because she was sandwiched in between two guys? Nah, she's fine with that. Because she was sandwiched in between an annoying pervert who stole her 'first' kiss, and a blond guy who looked so beautiful he might be a real prince? Yes, that's more like it. Since Natsume was lying back on his seat with an action manga on his face, she decided to talk to the Blondie who actually seemed nice.

"Hi! I'm Sakura Mikan, what's your name?" she grinned, hoping her speculation was correct.

He glanced at Natsume, as if he were looking for approval. But Natsume didn't say anything.

"Nogi Ruka." he said, averting his eyes, making no effort to deepen the conversation.

"Well," Mikan scratched her head, "it's nice to meet you errr..." looking at the bunny in his arms, she decided to give him a nickname because she felt awkward calling him Ruka-san, "Ruka-pyon!"

The blond continued averting his eyes, but at the corner of her eye, she saw his ears turning red. _Ohh he must be shy!_ She wanted to talk to him more but class was starting soon, so she decided she would do so later.

After an hour of history class with Narumi-sensei, she found herself liking the teacher more. He was rather perky, although he might be overdoing it sometimes. The way Narumi-sensei taught was so magical, it was like the history lesson came alive. She didn't even noticed that an hour had passed just by listening to him. Well, the history between alices and full-humans was rather interesting as well, but it was kind of sad in its own way. She sincerely hoped that one day, the two would be able to reconcile and live together in peace.

The bell rang, and suddenly she found her table flocking with her classmates who were mostly girls.

"Nene Natsume-sama~ you must be bored after the history lesson!" The green-haired girl, who shot the most powerful laser beam at her just now, looked at Natsume with hearts in her eyes. Her attitude seemed completely different from before. "Do you want to do something fun?"

"Yeah let's do something fun Natsume-sama!" Another two girls echoed after Sumire like parrots. One look and Mikan knew Sumire was like the 'ringleader'.

Mikan peeked at Natsume, who was obviously ignoring the girls. She couldn't believe he had that manga book placed on his face for the entire lesson! Didn't he need to study or something?

The green-haired girl noticed that she was peeking at Natsume, and her face turned into a scowl.

"Hey girls, do you smell something funny here?" Sumire smirked at her 'followers' as if she was using a secret code language.

One girl with pigtails did a sniffing action, and then pinched her nose in disgust. "Oh my god, it reeks!"

The other girl did the same too, "Totally!"

Mikan tried sniffing too. _Nothing smells strange though..._

Sumire continued to sniff around as if she was trying to find the source of the stench, and then moved closer to Mikan. She stopped there, and backed away. "Wow has anyone told you that you stink?"

"M-Me?" Mikan sniffed her own body, but she didn't find herself stinky. _Strange...I made sure I showered this morning._ "I don't smell anything though."

Sumire slammed her hands in front of Mikan's desk, causing her to jump in surprise. Her face was so close to Mikan's own that she almost went cross-eyed.

"Well you sure stink to us, full-human!" The three girls cackled like the three witches in winx club, as if they were superior to her. To make things worse, the rest of the class merely kept quiet and tended to their own business.

"Yeah why don't you put some perfume on?"

"Wait that won't work, the stench is too strong!"

They continued degrading her when all of a sudden, the raven-haired man beside her kicked his desk real hard. He removed the manga from his face, "You girls are annoying." and gave the three girls a hard stare. "Piss off!"

When he said that, everybody stared at him wide-eyed, as if the girls had awoken the sleeping lion. In this case, panther. The girls yelped, and rushed out of the classroom with their tails in between their legs. Literally.

Mikan looked at Natsume in awe. _Did he just help me?_

"Th-thanks...Hyuuga-san."

He merely did his signature 'hn' and placed the manga book back on his face.

_He can be a nice guy sometimes..._

* * *

When Mikan got back to her newly allocated room (of course she couldn't stay in the same room with him), she flopped onto her bed. The first day was extremely tiring, especially with haters everywhere. No matter where she went, people gave her the stares. There were the curious stares, death stares, weird stares, and very rarely, the lecher stares. She clenched her fists and made a fighting pose, "Don't give up Mikan!"

Just then, the door opened. Was it her roommate? A beauty with black hair and violet eyes, which sparkled like gems, walked elegantly into the room. Her every move seemed so effortless, it almost seemed she was floating. _Okay, let's try to make friends with her!_

"Hi, I'm Mikan! What's your name?" she extended her hand to the girl with the violet orbs, who was staring at her as if she's seen her before.

"Hotaru. Imai Hotaru." Her hands met Mikan's, making Mikan feel a sense of nostalgia. The texture of her hand seemed so familiar to her, as if she had held it in hers before. Who was she? Imai Hotaru? Imai... Where did she hear that name?

"Ahh!" Mikan suddenly shouted, pointing at her face. "You are..."

Hotaru's eyes widened by a fraction. _Does she remember me?_ The things Hotaru ever cared about were only two: Her family and...her childhood friend. The innocent and cheerful childhood friend that was standing in front of her.

"Subaru-senpai's sister right? Since you have the same last name... He healed me, such a nice guy..." She trailed off.

Mikan didn't recognise her. Disappointment invaded her, she had expected her one and only best friend to recognise her. Well, maybe it's because it's been 9 years since she bade farewell to Mikan and entered Gakuen Alice.

"You don't remember me?" Hotaru questioned.

"Sorry...I have amnesia... Hyuuga-san found me in the forest yesterday. I woke up and found myself here." She slumped, her eyes looking downcast.

_Amnesia? That explains._ "I see. Well, nice to meet you." _Again. _

"You're so nice!" Mikan squealed, jumping onto Hotaru. Hotaru gave her a right uppercut with her newly invented horse hoof glove; Felines hated close contact after all.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Aw man Sumire's so mean :( I didn't mean to make her mean! Those who like Sumire please forgive me! She's one of my fav characters too! But don't worry she won't stay mean for long ;) *wink wink***


	4. Chapter 4 - Subliminal Jealously

**Authoress's Note:**

**Chapter 4 is here folks! I'm always thankful for your reviews, favourites and follows guys ^^ I hope you enjoy reading this chapter~  
**

**To: MythicalG5**

**They are currently 16 years old! Thanks for the review btw! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

_Day four and almost no progress._ Mikan slouched against the bench, all alone by herself. She initially wanted to get Hotaru to show her around but somehow she felt like Hotaru was avoiding her. Anyway, although it was lesson time now, she was free because the lessons now were only exclusive to alices. Since she was a full-human, it was her 'independent study' period now. Mikan wished she could have joined the lessons too because she wanted to see the different kinds of alices in her class.

_I wonder if they are just like Hyuuga-san..._ She recalled his lithe body with silky black fur lying beside her. His beautiful black fur covered the spots on his back, making it strangely elegant in its own way. Mikan wondered if he had opened his eyes, would it be the same crimson orbs that shone like a ruby? Would he let her see his form again? His majestic form displayed strength and pride, like he was the king of the jungle.

And again, she could hear a thumping sound coming from her chest. What was this strange, exciting feeling?

Just as she was daydreaming, somebody plopped down beside her.

"Narumi-sensei!" she exclaimed at the surprise, and move slightly to her right to make more space for him. She was hogging the entire bench after all.

"Hiya Mikan-chan!" he winked flirtatiously, sending hearts with his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

She smiled at him, happy that Narumi-sensei was spending time with her. "I'm just killing time since I don't have classes...because I'm full-human..." Feeling like an extra in her class, her happy mood quickly dissipated. She was full-human so people avoided her. She was full-human so no one cared. She just felt so alone in school.

Narumi noticed that she was depressed so he hugged her to cheer her up. "Cheer up Mikan-chan! The people here are just not used to you yet! It takes time." He patted her on her back gently, like the way a father would to his child.

Mikan could feel the kind warmth in his hug, and she felt very grateful to him. Only Narumi-sensei treated her like family without discrimination. She hugged him back, "Thanks Narumi-sensei! You're the best!"

"Awww you cute girl!" he pinched her nose playfully, making her giggle.

And then for the rest of the day, the two of them talked endlessly about all sorts of things. He even gave her useful tips when facing the different alices. For example, when you see a bear, try not to look them in the eye (if you even can that is. Bear alices were usually very tall) because they don't really like it. For felines, big or small, give them their alone time or else they'll get real pissy. For dogs, they were usually friendly but never try to take away their favorite thing, or else they will get all lunatic on you. And as for wolves, don't call them dogs because the two were different.

Narumi told her about his story when one guy called him a dog and the next day that guy vanished off the face of earth. Mikan laughed so hard at his story because she just couldn't believe the kind Narumi-sensei could ever do something like that.

"Nene Narumi-sensei?" Mikan asked. _I wonder if he'll agree to my request._

"Yes Mikan-chan?"

"Will you show me your alice?" she pleaded him, excited to see how he would look like as a wolf.

"Ehh? I'm embarrassed!" Majority of alices preferred to only partially shift because fully shifting was like exposing your bare body to someone. It was extremely personal and an alice usually only showed their forms if they were in danger or if they trusted the other party.

Mikan pouted and looked down, "Okay then…I won't force Narumi-sensei if Narumi-sensei doesn't like it..."

Hearing that, Narumi stroked Mikan's head and gave in to her. "It's a secret between you and me okay?"

"Eh?" she looked up, and saw Narumi shifting. It was very magical, and it happened so fast it seemed like a blur. She had expected the shifting process to be a little disgusting actually because she thought that his bones would change shape and his skin would stretch out in some gruesome way, but it didn't. She just sat there staring blankly at Narumi, not knowing what just happened in front of her eyes. Just a moment ago Narumi was human but now, he was a dazzling blond wolf. Did blond wolves even exist anyway?

His fur reflected the sunlight, making it sparkle and seem even blonder than before. Under his thick lashes were crystal clear purple orbs that stared deep into her soul. Mikan reached out her hand, and ran it along his body. _Wow... so soft!_ She then made her way up to his ears, and played with them happily.

_"You seem to be having fun!" _

"I am!" she replied, and continued stroking his fur.

_"Mikan-chan, can you...hear me?"_

"What are you talking about Narumi-sensei? It's only you and me here right?" she laughed at him as if he had just ask the most ridiculous question.

_"But I am using wolf speak though!"_

"Wolf speak?"

_"Yes. It is a form of communication when alices shift into their full forms. It's like the alices' own language. Only alices can hear it. For wolves, it's wolf speak. For bears, it's bear speak, etc. But ultimately it's the same thing."_

"...Does this mean I'm an alice?" she opened her eyes wide, half joking half serious. Honestly speaking, a tiny part of her hoped that she was one.

_"Who knows?"_ He brushed off her question with just two words and shifted back all of a sudden.

For a moment, Mikan thought she saw something she shouldn't be seeing but she deleted that image from her memory. Some things were better off not remembering. _Yup. I didn't see anything._

After he shifted back, in less than a few seconds, he was already fully clothed. How did he change so fast? Was there some kind of trick behind it?

She thought deeply to the point where the brows wrinkled up. Narumi chuckled and said, "Practice makes perfect!"

* * *

Natsume leaned back against his chair as the voice of the teacher drowned in the background noise. He glanced at the empty seat beside him, and recalled a certain stubborn and annoying brunette.

_Hyuuga-san!_ The way she called him was very weird, but her singsong voice was oddly pleasant to his ears. Usually he didn't like girls because of their shrill voices that burst his eardrums but he was fine with hers. In fact, it drew him in like a magnet.

He suddenly remembered her shrieking when he accidentally shifted back to human form without clothes on. Natsume brought his hand up to his mouth to stifle a laugh. The girl was just too innocent! Come to think of it, he was kind of surprised that she didn't freak out when she found him in his Black Panther form. Normally, people would freak out if they saw him in that form. Even alices were scared of him. He felt a weird fluttering feeling in his chest at the knowledge that she didn't fear him. What was this inexplicable fuzzy feeling?

He looked out of the window to clear his mind, and when he looked down, he spotted a girl with pigtails. _Speak of the devil._ He zoomed in to her only to realize that she wasn't alone. Great, she was with the narcissistic and annoying idiot who is too frivolous to be a teacher. He felt a stab of jealousy in his heart but he shoved it down brutally. Unconsciously furrowing his brows, he thought, 'What was she doing with _him?_'

He continued observing them and then he noticed that the narcissist was changing into his wolf form. The next thing that happened sparked something in him. Something…unpleasant.

She was actually stroking him and she looked so happy about it! What the hell was she doing, batting her eyelashes at him and laughing in that girly way? _Whatever, who she talks to is none of my business._

He mumbled something in a gruff voice, and continued watching them. The anger inside him was boiling and bubbling, and he didn't even know why. _Why am I even feeling so angry for? It's none of my damn business._ Her goofy smile was plastered on her face and seeing that, Natsume's eyes grew dark and his mouth formed into a thin and straight line. He kicked his table, surprising the entire class.

"Is something wrong Hyuuga?" the teacher, whom Natsume didn't bother remembering his name, questioned.

"Nothing." He replied curtly, and glared back at the people who were giving him curious stares. They flinched and quickly faced the front because they knew they would get killed if they continued staring. Natsume was scary after all.

* * *

Mikan skipped joyfully along the seemingly empty corridor, swinging her arms because she felt so refreshed after talking to Narumi. She couldn't wait to speak with him again! Humming a random upbeat tune, she continued skipping until someone called out to her from behind.

"Oi." His voice was guttural and familiar, but it sounded irritated as well.

"Hmm?" She turned around to see who it was, but she somehow knew who it was. "Oh Hyuuga-san! Hi!"

"Natsume."

"What?"

"Call me Natsume. Hyuuga-san sounds very suffocating."

Mikan felt kind of embarrassed to address him as Natsume. It was strangely intimate and she wasn't sure if they were at that stage yet. And then she recalled having her first kiss (after she lost her memories) stolen by him. In a totally unromantic manner to boot! Blood rushed through her veins and she could feel the heat creeping up her neck and then to her cheeks.

"What are you doing here Hyu-err Natsume?" Okay Mikan liked how his name rolled off her tongue so smoothly. She tried to suppress a smile by compressing her lips together. _He might just think I'm weird._

"What are YOU doing here?" Natsume looked at her coldly as he leaned against the pillar with his arms folded.

_Is it just my imagination or is he angry with me? But I didn't do anything!_ _Maybe he's just feeling cranky today._ "Oh! I was chatting with Narumi-sensei!" she said cheerfully, and naturally smiled when she said Narumi's name.

"Chatting? You two seem to be doing more than that." He sounded calm, but he didn't _look _calm. Was he accusing her of doing something wrong?

She wanted to tell him what happen but then Narumi told her to keep a secret, so she kept her lips sealed. "Nonsense! We were just chatting!"

Natsume pushed himself against the wall and took long strides towards her. A warning alarm in her went off and she had a feeling she shouldn't be here now. As Natsume took each step, she backed away in the opposite direction with her hands up.

But it was a pity that his legs were longer than hers. Natsume grabbed her wrist and pinned her against the wall with his hands at either side of her face. Her escape route was now gone.

Mikan looked up at him only to find his face in front of hers._ C-close!_ She could feel his hot breaths, and see every detail of his face. His lashes were long and thick for a boy, and they shaded his magma eyes. The bone structure of his face was beautifully sharp and angular, making her heart skip a beat. Mikan outlined the shape of his lips with her eyes, and couldn't believe these were the very lips that touched hers.

She flushed bright pink and averted her eyes, looking everywhere except his face. His face was just too dangerous for her face.

_Why am I feeling so hot?_ Her eyes were spinning and she felt dizzy.

"So stroking his fur in that coquettish way is just chatting?" he glared down at her, making her feel so tiny at that moment. It was like how a predator was looking at his prey.

"C-Coquettish?! That's bullshit!" she rebutted. How was that flirtatious?She merely wanted to feel Narumi-sensei's fur!

"Excuses. Don't ever act so chummy with him ever again."

Clearly it was a command, not a request. But why should she listen to him? He was not her boss or anything, he was just her partner! To think that she thought he was nice before. "Or else what?" Mikan rebelled against him. There was no way she was going to back down.

"Or else, this happens." He swooped down to devour her lips, making her too stunned to even fight back. It was a short, fleeting moment. He released her lips and removed his hands, and stood up to his full height.

She froze. Literally. What did he just do?

"People will think that you're flirting and that affects me negatively since you're MY partner. Got it Polka?" He turned around and walked away like a boss.

"P-P-PERVERT!" She fumed and screeched at the top of her lungs. _Since you're MY partner? Does it mean he recognizes me?_ She thought about his sentence and the corners of her mouth lifted up without her knowing. Mikan brought her hand to her mouth and touched it. _It feels hot..._ His temperature lingered on her mouth, and it made her all fuzzy on the inside.


	5. Chapter 5 - The Day He Laughed

**Authoress's Note:**

**Chapter 5 is up guys! This chapter is quite long, 3,154 words omg! :O Sorry if you are the type that hates long chapters hehehe XD Oh and I'm changing the rating to T for now. But I might change it back!**

**So...yeah! Enjoy the chapter!**

**Please do review ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

For the next few days, Mikan was out of it. It was like her soul left her body, leaving behind an empty shell. She sat down on a bench in the school garden, and looked dazedly at nothing with her mouth wide open. The only thing that occupied her mind was the incident with Natsume. She blushed right up to the ears and slapped her cheeks with her hands. _Forget about it Mikan! That meant nothing at all! He's just bullying you!_

"Look at this girl! Slapping herself, what a fool!" Mikan recognized this cackling. It was the trio. That was the nickname she gave to Sumire and her followers. The three always seemed to be with each other as if glue stuck them together, therefore she dubbed them the trio.

"Yeah, what a fool!" the one with a pony tail repeated. She always seemed to repeat what Sumire said, making Mikan suspect that she was a parrot alice.

The third girl, who wore a headband, didn't add on, but just continued cackling. Mikan sighed deeply, _Can't I ever break away from them?_ She didn't have the energy or mood to fight against them now.

"Whatever, just leave me alone!" Mikan said without even bothering to look at them.

Sumire's jaw dropped to the ground. How dare a full-human talk to her this way! "Y-you! How dare you talk to me rudely?"

"Aren't YOU the rude one? Just because I'm a full-human, doesn't mean I deserved to be treated as if I'm beneath you!" Mikan made her stand firm. So what if she was a full-human? It wasn't as if alices weren't human as well. They were just given additional powers.

Sumire clapped sarcastically, "I don't know where you plucked your courage from, but I'm going to make you regret that you ever came to Gakuen Alice!"

After saying that, she grabbed Mikan's collar and lifted her up. She then raised her hand in the air, preparing to deliver a hard blow to the brunette's cheek.

"What are you doing?" A man said, his voice was silky smooth, and had a fine elegance to it.

All of the girls looked to see who it was, and when Sumire saw him, she immediately retreated into her 'shell' like a turtle.

"Ruka-pyon!" Mikan said with surprise in her voice. What was he doing here?

"R-R-Ruka-sama! Don't misunderstand! I was just-"

"Bullying her?" The blond man glared at her with his cyan orbs, with a displeased face.

Sumire's followers were so afraid that they hid behind their leader's back. They never imagined that their gentle prince could be so scary when angry.

"Bully? N-No! I was just teaching her a lesson!" Sumire let go of Mikan's collar, causing her to collapse on the ground. "She was being rude so I just wanted to teach her some manners!"

"That doesn't seem to be the case the way I see it." Ruka crossed his arms.

"I..."

"Leave her alone."

The three of them fled the scene, but before Sumire made herself scarce, she glared daggers at Mikan. Mikan could only interpret that as a message that this was not the end.

Ruka extended his hand in front on her face. "Are you okay?"

Mikan looked up, grabbed his hand, and lifted herself up. "I'm fine!" She dusted her skirt, "Thanks Ruka-pyon! You're so kind!"

When Ruka saw her smile, his cheeks grew hot and he could feel his heartbeat getting faster. The girl in front of him was so lovable. At first, he was just curious as to why Natsume would defend her in the classroom, so he was just a little interested in her. His eyes unconsciously followed after her, and before he knew it, she had captured his heart.

She was kind towards the people around her, even if they didn't like her. Whenever she faced bullies, she didn't give up and stayed strong. There would always be a smile on her face, like how a sun would always be shining. Her bright aura attracted him, and she had even made friends with the animals in the Northern Woods. How could someone so lovable be hated?

"I-I just did what was needed to be done." He stuttered, and looked down because he was too shy to meet her eyes.

"But still, thanks!" She clasped his hands in hers and shook it up and down. Ruka could feel her warmth and her soft and tender hands. His body temperature rose and his face turned red.

Ruka stood up abruptly, "Y-you're welcome." He was about to leave, but he turned back to say one final thing. "Sakura, don't give up."

As Mikan looked at his back, she couldn't help but think that Ruka was such a nice guy.

* * *

"Found you Hotaru~" Mikan glomped Hotaru from the back without thinking about her life.

She learnt from Narumi that it was never good to get too intimate with a feline, but she didn't care because it was Hotaru. Hotaru wouldn't kill her...At least that was what she hoped for.

"Baka, get off me."

"Don't wanna~"

"Ahh you shouldn't do that Mikan-chan!"

Mikan turned her head at the new voice. It belonged to a petite and cute boy who wore round spectacles. He had brown eyes too big for a guy and long eyelashes that put her own eyelashes to shame. His hair was dirty blond color and it was short but neat.

"Who are you?" she questioned the bespectacled boy.

"Ah! I'm..." He scratched his head in an awkward manner, as if he was very shy about introducing himself. "I'm Tobita Yu, the class representative of 1-A."

"Ohh! Isn't that my class? Nice to meet you Iinchou!" Mikan held her hand out for a greeting.

"Hehe... Nice to meet you Mikan-chan…" The shy boy replied her greeting, and gave her a smile. At one glance, Mikan knew that he was a nice guy because he didn't discriminate against her. She instantly knew that they were going to be best friends. Plus he was cute.

"So where have you been Hotaru? I've been looking for you everywhere!"

"I've been busy." Hotaru's reply was short and curt, making her feel a tiny bit a pain. But Mikan didn't back away, she was determined to be best buddies with the feline no matter how difficult it was.

"So are you free now?" Mikan flashed her signature smile at Hotaru, but something about it told Hotaru she shouldn't be here now.

"...Why?"

"Can you show me around the school?"

"No." Hotaru walked away but she forgot Mikan had an iron grip. The brunette wouldn't take 'no' for an answer. She proceeded to have a staring competition with the almighty Hotaru, and she held her ground firmly.

"Uhh Mikan-chan I'll show you around!" Iinchou felt that things would turn out bad if he didn't interfere, and it was getting kind of uncomfortable with all the staring.

"Yay Iinchou's the best!" She cheered, "Unlike a certain someone here~"

Hotaru twitched. _This girl really..._ She smiled on the inside. How long has it been since she had actually fought with Mikan like this? It was all so nostalgic to her, and it made her feel very happy that they could get together once again. For the past few days, she had no idea how to interact with the brunette. Best friends in the past and all of a sudden back to strangers. All of it was such a headache to her that she decided to avoid her for a while. But persistent Mikan was persistent.

"I guess I just have to tag along."

Mikan brightened up when she heard Hotaru was going but Hotaru quickly added a few words.

"Only because Iinchou is there."

"Yay! Let's go!"

* * *

The three of them toured around the gigantic school, there was the cafeteria, library, the different classrooms, the school garden which Mikan was familiar with, and many other places.

"We still haven't gone to the horse stable." Iinchou said, looking at a map of the school. All the other locations on the map that they had visited were already crossed out, leaving the horse stables their final destination.

"We have a horse stable?" Mikan was surprised. She knew that Gakuen Alice was a special school but they even kept horses!

"Wait... Are those horses alices too?" Mikan gasped, it would be too cruel to let alices live in a horse stable!

"Baka," Hotaru whacked her, "They are purely animals."

"Oh whew..."

Iinchou giggled at Mikan, making her blush in embarrassment.

"We've reached the stable." Iinchou said.

The horse stable was a beautiful building built with masonry, wood and steel. It had a red roof and white exterior, simple but exquisite. There was a serene air around it, making it stand out in the bustling school. The building was built in a traditional way, with a lot of roaming space for the horse to gallop and roam freely. When Mikan saw the horse stable, her eyes were beaming with excitement.

"How pretty! Come on let's go in!"

"Ah wait for us Mikan-chan!"

Hotaru merely shook her head and sighed. She couldn't keep up with the brunette's overflowing excitement. Where did she get all her energy from anyway? It was like she had a reservoir of energy to tap from.

Before they entered, they noticed that there was someone else in the stable. And that someone was somebody they didn't expect.

"There there." the blond guy in front of them petted the horse gently and affectionately. "Hey that tickles!"

He giggled like a little boy when the horse licked his cheek, and continued stroking the horse. His eyes were sparkling brightly, and as he exchanged eye contact with the horse, hearts were transmitted as well. The blond looked like he was drowning in happiness as he was playing with the horse, and he was totally oblivious to his surroundings.

The three of them stood at the entrance, momentarily shocked at what they were looking at.

"R-Ruka-pyon?" Mikan let out what sounded like a croak.

The blond snapped out of his love trance with the horse and turned his head at the familiar voice.

"S-S-S-Sakura! Imai! And Iinchou!" His face became fifty shades of red, "What are you doing here?"

Seeing Ruka get so flustered, Mikan couldn't help but burst into a fit of laughter.

"R-Ruka-pyon! I never knew you loved horses so much!" she continued laughing to the point where she had to hold her stomach. Iinchou couldn't help but laugh too, and even Hotaru cracked up a little.

"I-! You better not tell anyone what you saw!" Ruka stammered, wishing that he could just crawl into a hole now.

"All right all right," Mikan wiped a tear from her eye, "I won't tell a soul." She smiled sweetly at him. Ruka was just the cutest guy ever.

"So what are you guys doing here?"

"Oh, we were just touring around the school. This was our last destination!" Mikan stretched her arms, "Man, I'm pooped!"

Ruka glanced at her and thought to himself. Mikan did seem like she was really tired, and it was no surprise since their school was like 40 houses for giants put together. Hell, they even had forests and a shopping district in their school.

"Uhm!" Ruka raised his voice which was a bolt from the blue, causing them to flinch.

"D-Do you want to have some tea and snacks?" Ruka blushed a little when he invited them, specifically her though. Was he being too friendly? He hoped she didn't think he was weird.

Ruka saw how Mikan stared at him with her mouth open, and regretted asking them.

"It's fine if you guys are busy or somethin-"

"We do! Aww Ruka-pyon you're the best!" she beamed at him, "Right guys?"

Iinchou nodded, and Hotaru raised her brow at Ruka and then smirked in a way that Ruka thought was dangerous.

_She definitely knows._ He led the way and brought them to the back of the stable where a mini garden was. There was a white and round tea table centered in the garden, with white chairs that accompanied with it.

It had a vintage style to it, and it resembled the type of tea tables that could be found in the historical British movies where the rich had their tea time. Mikan never failed to be amazed by the exotic beauty of Gakuen Alice. She couldn't believe that a magical place like Gakuen Alice could be found in Japan.

As she watched Ruka set the table and prepare the tea-Earl Grey Tea-, she was entranced by how fluid his movements were. It was like looking at a master performing his tea ceremony. The way he moved his hands were effortlessly graceful. It was no wonder the girls in school compared him to a prince.

"What are you staring at?" the 'Prince' questioned, feeling a mix of embarrassment and uneasiness from her stares.

"Naw, it's just that I though you looked so much like a prince." Mikan said that without any shame, like it naturally slipped out of her mouth.

"W-What are you talking about!" Ruka turned beet red, and tried to distract himself by serving them their tea and cakes.

Mikan rested her chin on her hands and sighed.

"It's hard to imagine that you are best friends with Natsume. He's such a jerk!" Her face twisted in annoyance, and she gritted her teeth.

"Mikan-chan, you shouldn't call Natsume-kun a jerk. He's a nice guy." Iinchou said calmly, without lying.

Mikan thought that her classmates treated Natsume like a king because they feared him, but was she wrong?

Hotaru said nothing, and took a bite of her strawberry shortcake.

"Ehh? I'm not sure about him being nice..." I mean, sure he did help me out before, and he saved me in the forest too... but he can be really mean sometimes! She recalled how he teased her by giving her weird nicknames like 'Polka', and he even up skirted her!

Yup, he's a jerk after all!

Ruka sipped his cup of tea and placed it down with minimal sound. "I was raised by the academy from young, but I was shunned by all the other kids. They made fun of my alice and teased me for being weak. Only Natsume accepted me for who I was." Ruka smiled fondly as he spoke.

"Ruka-pyon..." From the way he spoke, Mikan could see clearly how deep the bond was between Ruka and Natsume, and she realised that maybe she had misjudged Natsume after all.

"We were despised by the older kids. They hated Natsume for his rebellious attitude, and me for my weakness. But we protected each other's back." Ruka looked at his hand and remembered the warmth of Natsume's hand when they promised to never betray each other. "We became best friends, brothers, and family that we always yearned for."

Mikan, Iinchou and Hotaru listened on without interrupting. As Ruka narrated his own story, they felt so much emotion in it. The emotions brought his story alive, making them feel like they were living in it. They never knew that side of Natsume, and Mikan suddenly regretted scolding Natsume. She realised... she never truly understood him.

"Ah, don't tell Natsume I told you this. He's kind of shy when he's labelled as the 'good guy' "

_Shy?_ Mikan giggled. _Him?_ There was just no way.

"Don't tell me what?" A deep, masculine voice came from behind Mikan. She was well acquainted with his voice already.

"Kyaa!" Mikan jumped up and covered her right ear. Her heart pounded quickly against her chest.

Hearing Natsume's deep voice so close to her ear made her feel like her ear just got raped. His voice was strangely seductive and sent shivers down her spine. She didn't know why though.

"Natsume-kun!" Iinchou blurted.

"Natsume... Where have you been?" Ruka questioned, but he looked like he was used to him springing out from nowhere.

Hotaru, like him, remained calm. As usual.

"Just the usual mission." The raven head dragged a chair beside Mikan and joined the table. Ruka poured him a cup of tea and served him cake. Knowing very well that he didn't like cakes that were too sweet, he purposely made one that was less sweet.

"So what was it about me?" He eyed Ruka and Mikan suspiciously.

"Oh nothing much." Ruka brushed his question off like nothing just happened.

On the other hand, Mikan gorged herself with so much cake that her mouth was full. She couldn't lie well after all.

"Hn..." Natsume turned his head to look at Mikan with a deadpan expression.

She noticed that his gaze was directed towards her lips, and it made her heart rate speed up.

Don't tell me... He's going to...kiss me? Here?! She gulped and bit her lip. What exactly was he going to do to her? She looked at his face, which was leaning in closer by the second, in fear and anticipation.

When his face was only an inch away from her face, she pulled the curtains over her eyes.

. . .

Wh-what is that wet feeling at the corner of my mouth? Should I open my eyes? But I'm scared! But I want to know what happened! Urgh Mikan you're so indecisive!

"Na-Na-Natsume-kun!" Iinchou's frantic voice was the first thing she heard.

She slowly opened her eyes, right first then left. What entered her sight was Ruka's frozen expression, Iinchou panicking, and Hotaru sipping her tea.

What just happened?

She looked at Natsume who was beside her. He licked the sides of his mouth, as if he had just finished a meal.

"What?" He stared at her as if nothing happened. "There was cream at the side of your mouth, so I licked it off."

"L-L-Licked?" Mikan's jaw dropped to the ground.

"What did you expect?" Suddenly, Natsume's expression turned into a playful one, just like a cat. He smirked devilishly, "Were you expecting... a kiss perhaps?"

Mikan felt all the heat rush to her face, and she exploded there and then.

"I was not! Who would expect that! You... you..." She took in a deep breath, "you big pervert! Devil cat!"

The furious brunette stood up and grabbed her two pals. "Hotaru, Iinchou, let's go!"

Her parting move was childish.

She stuck out her tongue and made a 'bleh' sound.

After she left, steaming with anger to boot, only Natsume and Ruka were left. Natsume chuckled with his hand covering his mouth.

"Idiot." He said to himself, feeling amused by her antics.

Ruka, on the other hand, didn't find it as funny. "Natsume... By any chance, do you like Sakura?"

"What?" Natsume stopped chuckling, "Baka, I'm just messing with her." When he said that, he didn't look into Ruka's eyes at all.

"I see..."

_But you know what Natsume? It's the first time I've seen you laugh like that._


	6. Chapter 6 - Central Town, Here We Go!

**Authoress's Note:**

**Hello readers~ Thank you for the favs, reviews and follows 3 We have made it to chapter 6 and there's more to come~ **

**Please do review and tell me what you think ;)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

After spending months with her class, Mikan managed to make some friends who didn't discriminate against her. Tobita Yuu, aka Iinchou, the kind-hearted dolphin. Anna and Nonoko, the Pani rabbits. Kokoroyomi, the bat with sharp hearing. And many more that made her feel so blessed! She even managed to get Ruka on her side with her persistent attitude.

Every time she saw Ruka, she would wave vigorously at him and go to him with a big smile sewed onto her face. Initially he avoided her, but he eventually gave in to her. But when it came to Natsume... he was constantly hot and cold. Sometimes he would be really 'nice' and help her from the bullies, and then he would turn into complete pervert and tease her.

She swear that guy had an underwear fetish or something.

Occasionally, Sumire and her gang who pull some tricks on Mikan, but Hotaru brandished her claws and declared that the only one who could bully Mikan was her. Hotaru was like the coolest-although kind of mean at times- girl she had ever known. Cool, calm but sweet at times. Mikan loved her so much, and this feeling felt like it went way back in the past. But she convinced herself it was her imagination.

Anyway, following Hotaru's awesome declaration, they seemed to have toned down in their pranks.

* * *

"La la la la~" Mikan sang heartily as she stared outside the bus window. She hoped that they would quickly reach their destination.

"Mikan-chan, are you that happy?" Iinchou giggled, thinking that Mikan was cute.

"Of course! It's the long awaited class excursion to Central Town!" she bounced up and down like a kangaroo, "I'm going to shop till I drop!"

"Ehh... I'm not sure Natsume likes shopping..." Iinchou looked at Natsume warily.

"Oi Polka," Natsume spoke up, "I'm not going shopping with you. So forget it."

"Don't call me Polka!" she roared at him, "But Narumi-sensei said we have to be with our partners!"

"No."

"Why not?" She pouted, her cheeks puffing up. His hands twitched, itching to pinch her rosy cheeks.

"No means no." he said, staying firm on his decision.

"Awww... Pleaseeeeee?" There she goes again, with her big puppy dog eyes. Natsume was really beginning to suspect she might be a Chihuahua instead.

Ruka chuckled, "Don't be such a tease Natsume, it's rare for us to be able to go out together."

Natsume looked out of the window, unable to refuse his friend. "Hn."

Mikan cheered and clasped Ruka's hands, "You're the best Ruka-pyon!"

Ruka's face flushed bright pink, his eyes looking everywhere except Mikan's face.

_*Flash* _

"Hmm... picture of the day. Embarrassed Ruka." Hotaru held the picture in her hand with a calculative look on her face.

"Imaiiii! Give it to me!" Ruka screamed, and chased after her in the bus.

And the duo were at it again. The gang laughed at the scene, enjoying the amusement during the bus ride.

Upon reaching Central Town, Mikan was all over the place, getting fascinated by even the tiniest thing ever. Central town was an unusual town made by Alices for the Alices. The buildings were medieval-styled, truly built up brick by brick. Tall, short, long or wide, you name it, we have it. Not only that, even the items sold were things Mikan had never seen before!

"Oi," Natsume grabbed Mikan by her collar, "Stop running around, it'll be troublesome if you get lost."

"I won't get lost! I may look like this but I'm really good at directions!" Natsume raised his brow suspiciously. _Says the one who was found in the middle of a forest._

He sighed and continued walking, trying to get away from her yapping.

Meanwhile, Sumire was hiding behind the wall, eyeing the both of them.

"Wha-wha-what! How dare she act so close with Natsume-sama!" she bit and chewed on her handkerchief, "Don't worry Natsume-sama! I'll remove the annoyance for you!"

She whistled, and two menacing looking guys, easily reaching 2 metres, came forward.

"Just act according to plan, go!"

After five minutes of walking, Natsume finally had his peace. And then he paused. It was far too peaceful. He turned around only to find a missing figure.

He smacked his head, "That girl! I just told her not to run around!"

He perked up his nose, and followed the citrus scent that lingered on her body. The sweet citrus scent that made him crave for his favourite mandarin oranges sometimes, and also something else.

From the distance, he heard her silvery voice, accompanied by two raspy voices that could only belong to mean bears. Of all people, she just had to get involved with the unreasonable bears.

"Wha-what do want with me?" Mikan puffed up her chest, trying to look fearless but obviously failing. Big time.

"Well you see little girl," they said, easily towering over her like giants, giving her that look of contempt. "We were hired to teach you a lesson!"

"B-by who?" she stuttered, barely getting the words out of her mouth.

"Sha-sha-sha," one of the guys poked her forehead, the other snorting, "We don't want to spoil the fun, do we?"

Something in Natsume snapped when he saw the foul smelling bear touch Mikan. His inner beast roared and growled, wanting to come out and tear those guys apart. It was almost instinctual for him to protect Mikan, and he wanted so badly to rub his scent all over her to mark her as his mate, so that nobody would dare to touch her.

Wait what was he thinking? Scratch that, saving her comes first.

But since shifting in public would cause a commotion, he forcefully suppressed his restless panther and flashed only his fangs and claws.

"Oi. Hands off." he said, threat lacing his every word.

The bears turned around, giving their meanest look. "Hah? Who are you to- Na-na-na-Natsume?!" they gulped, breaking out in cold sweat.

Bloody bastards. Asking for me to rip their throats.

"I said, Hands. Off." He spit that out through clenched teeth. There were rules when it came to cats: One, never put them with dogs. Two, don't get all touchy with them. Three, never make them repeat themselves.

The bears jumped in surprise, "O-of course! We were just helping her to brush off some dirt on her shoulders!" The hand that once poked her forehead moved down to her shoulders and made a sweeping action.

"Ha ha ha... There, all clean! See you!" and they dashed off with their 'tails' in between their legs. Looks like even the top-of-chain bears didn't dare to mess with the dangerous Black Panther.

Seeing how Mr. Panther had his fangs and claws sticking out like they itched to dig themselves in some flesh, Mikan slowly backed away as silently as possibly. But she forgot he had those super sensitive ears. He spun around to look at her. Uh-oh. Deep shit.

"You really don't listen well, do you?" he placed his hands on his hips like a teacher punishing a naughty kid.

"Bu-but they dragged me! I didn't have a choice!" she rubbed her palms together, as a sign of apology.

Natsume stared at her with those crimsons orbs. How was it possible that she could look so cute? He was supposed to feel annoyed and angry, and not trying to resist the urge to wrap her in his arms! This vulnerable woman who kept getting into trouble forced him to keep an eye on her at all times. Like stay by her side.

_No._ _No no no no no. What am I thinking?_ He ruffled his silky raven hair in quick motions. She was driving him on a wild ride, without a license too. It was just foul play.

Mikan, who was watching this scene, was amused. Looks like cool cat exploded.

She bit back a smile, "Ano Natsume..."

He snapped his head, breaking out of his own thoughts.

"I just want to say..." She looked all over the place, moving her lips in an awkward way. She needed to stop that because it only increased his desire to claim those supple lips that screamed, 'kiss me!'

She finally stopped the adorable lip dance and gave him that eye contact filled with determination.

"Thank you for saving me!" her mouth opened into a wide smile, even her eyes seemed to be smiling.

He mumbled something. But she thought it sounded more like a purr instead. Nah, must be her imagination. Then out of a sudden, ears, that were sharp and pointy, and a tail sprouted out from his head and rear. Not only that, his tail seemed to be doing a little swirling of its own. Fascinated, she reached out to touch it. She wanted to feel that softness like she felt the other time, plus it seemed fun to play with it too.

"Don't touch it!" He shouted, his own ears turning red, _Oooooh, someone's embarrassed!_

He stormed off, with his tail still having its own fun.

She chuckled, _What a cute guy!_

* * *

**A/N:**_  
_

**Just to explain, one's alice can unconsciously come out when he or she is excited in any form, hence explaining Natsume's reaction. Once again, thanks for reading!  
**


	7. Chapter 7 - Memories

**Authoress's Note:**

**Hello dear readers ^^ We're finally moving into the main story *applaudes* It took 7 chapters to get here hahahaha XD Without further ado, let's get into the story!**

**As usual, I'm always thankful for the reviews, favs and follows 3 **

**Do review to tell me your thoughts okay? :D**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

Back in school, an extremely annoyed Sumire was found at the rooftop, meeting up with two familiar bears.

"What?! You failed?" Sumire screamed in a high pitch voice that could burst one's eardrums. She flung her hands up in exasperation, huffing and puffing away.

One of the bears scratched the back of his head and said, "Yeah, Natsume intervened. He's one guy we can't go against, despite being a cat." He wrinkled his nose at the thought of what just happened earlier. The other bear nodded his head, and shrugged. "That man is violent! Dangerous! Those who work for the academy are not to be trifled with!"

Everybody in the academy knew that any alice who was classified under the dangerous class was brutal, heartless, and merciless. Although they mainly go against organizations run by full-humans, everybody knew that they would not hesitate to rip the throats out of anyone who got in their way. Full-human or Alice. It was really easy to identify anyone who was in the dangerous class. One look into their eyes would tell anyone that they had seen blood. One look at their battle scars would show their strength. In fact, their whole aura was of a different class.

Sumire clicked her tongue, "If Natsume-sama got involved then it can't be helped... That girl got lucky!" She handed the bears money for their efforts. There goes my money.

One of the bears grabbed the money and gave one of those silly bear grins, "Let's go get them honey waffles dude!" and the two of them skipped away. There was no bear who didn't like honey, and they would do anything to get it.

* * *

Mikan gobbled down her food like there was no tomorrow.

"This sandwich is so delicious!" She sighed in satisfaction, "I can't get enough of it!"

Natsume snorted, "Glutton." He stared at her while she continued eating, already done with his own. She licked her lips with that playful tongue of hers, that motion igniting a fire within him. How could that simple motion seem so sensual? This was not happening. No. He was feeling strange these days, always observing her every movement, and then getting these weird fuzzy tingling sensations in his heart. He wished he could tell her to stop doing that, but he knew he wanted to see more. It was totally heart over mind.

"What did you say?!" Mikan flared up, but quickly ignored him after she took another bite of her unbelievably delectable sandwich. She definitely needed to make friends with the person who made this.

"You eat like a horse."

"Hey!" Ruka cut in, "what's that about horses?' Well, looks like the horse got offended at the mention of his kin.

Natsume put his hands up, "Oops, slip of the tongue."

Anna giggled at the sight of Mikan, who was stuffing her cheeks like a hamster. "You shouldn't eat so much Mikan-chan! Save your stomach for the slumber party tonight!"

Hotaru wiped her mouth with a napkin like a queen, "Don't worry, since the past, she has had different stomachs for different meals."

"Since the past?" Anna raised a brow, "You sound like you knew her from waaaay before."

Hotaru glanced at Mikan, "Well... I'm going to the toilet." She stood up and left quickly, escaping the situation she was in. Natsume-the-sharp-mind kind of got suspicious, but he remained silent. Just then, at the corner of his eye, he saw Ruka reaching out to wipe Mikan's mouth. Mikan smiled brightly at him in return, saying thanks. Natsume felt something in his heart then. It was a dull sensation, and he was not liking it one bit.

Something echoed at the back of his mind. _Mine. She's mine._

Oh.

OH.

Everything made sense to him now. All that strange heart palpitations he'd been feeling? He liked Mikan. Or maybe it was his cat that liked her. Either way, they're both him.

Natsume opened his palm and then clenched it into a fist. _I can't. My hands are tainted._ He then looked up and gazed longingly at her face. _Not her. I won't drag her into the darkness._

He recalled Persona's words when he first entered the dangerous ability class at the tender age of 7, 9 years ago.

_*Flashback*_

_"As a member of the dangerous ability class, you will be going on missions assigned to you by the academy. It's not going to be as easy as you think. You will get blood on your hands. A lot of blood." Persona looked at him with a serious face. _

_Persona was a snake alice, a poisonous and venomous one. More specifically, he was a saw-scaled viper. He was a natural born trained assassin for Gakuen Alice. That was why he was immediately enlisted into the dangerous ability class. His eyes were deep and dark, cold as steel. His face had a dark shadow, visibly hardened by all the bad times. His battle scars showed his experience that no one dared to deny him of. _

_"Don't attach yourself to anyone." He warned, "Enemies will use them against you."_

_"They will show no mercy to your loved ones. Just like how they did to mine." Persona was boiling with rage on the inside, his fangs made its entrance and the venom dripped down onto the floor, corroding it. _

_Natsume kept silent all the time, because that was the best thing to do._

_"Never forget what I told you Natsume. Don't attach yourself. For a solitary cat like you, it should be easy. After all, cats are mostly alone." Persona's hissed on the 's' word, and his lips twisted wryly. _

This memory was etched into Natsume's mind very deeply. He must never attach himself to anyone. Not even to Mikan.

Seeing how the atmosphere of Natsume changed from his usual grumpy mood to pain and darkness, Mikan wondered if he was hurting somewhere. Feeling extremely worried, she asked, "Natsume? Are you okay?"

But Natsume was absorbed into his own thinking, he didn't notice her calling him. She moved her hand over his hand and gave a light squeeze.

"Natsume?" He snapped out of his reverie, flinching slightly. When Natsume noticed her hand was on his, he snatched it away, as if he hated the contact. Mikan felt like someone stabbed her heart. Did Natsume hate her? She didn't want that.

Suddenly, an image just popped out of nowhere in her mind.

_"Get your filthy hands off me..." _

The smooth and masculine voiced echoed in her throbbing head.

The hand below what seemed like her hand swatted her hand away with a huge force, so huge that she stumbled back,

_"I...I'm really sorry...-niisan!" she sobbed, tears flowing down her cheeks like a waterfall._

She felt her heart wrenching, and her stomach convulsed as the blurry scene flashed through her head._ What was this? Is the girl...me? _She tried to 'squint' in her head, hoping the image would be clearer. She wanted to see the other person she called 'niisan'. She couldn't clearly hear how the girl called the other guy. It was as if her ears were filled with water.

_"Betrayer..." He murmured._

This 'Niisan' appeared to be a young and suave man, with a smooth and deep voice that sent girls to heaven. He had a red head and a nice toned build, but that was all she could make out. His face was a blur, like it was smudged with ink.

_"BETRAYER!" _

_"...niisan!"_

The voice, laced with sorrow and hurt, screamed in her head. She rubbed her temples to relieve some pain. It felt as if someone set a bomb in her head, and it just exploded. She didn't know what she just 'saw', but she was pretty sure that was a fragment of her lost memories. Maybe it was beginning to come back. She'd always wanted her memories to come back, to complete her and confirm her identity. But after 'seeing' what happened, she wasn't sure about wanting to recover her memories anymore. She felt like something bad was going to happen. She felt queasy and light-headed, and her face was turning pale.

"I...I'm going to the toilet…" she stood up unsteadily, and left her seat.

Natsume wondered what was wrong with Mikan. Her face seemed pale and filled with sorrow, as if she committed something wrong. He felt a pang of guilt. Did he hurt her with his action just now? He wanted so badly to chase after her and apologise for his action, and give her a tight hug. But he folded his arms and squeezed his arm tightly. He needed to hold himself back. It was better if he didn't get close to her.

* * *

In the bathroom, Hotaru exited the cubicle, only to find Mikan with a contorted look of pain on her face. She wondered what happen to the usual cheerful girl. She went up to Mikan who was supporting herself with her hands on the sink.

"...Mikan? Are you okay?" She said, putting her arm around Mikan's shoulders.

"Hotaru... I seem to have remembered a bit about my past..." She told Hotaru exactly what happened, about the unknown guy and the conversation they had. However, Hotaru didn't know about the unknown guy because she had separated from Mikan when she was 7. She wished she could tell her about their times but now was not the time.

Hotaru pinched Mikan on the nose, "Baka, what's happened has happened. What's important is not the past but the present right? So don't be too worried."

Mikan rubbed her nose, soothing the pain. She smiled a little at the little gesture Hotaru just did to her. Although it was kind of pain.

"Hehe... Thanks Hotaru!" She said, hugging Hotaru tightly. This time, Hotaru's tiger decided to forgive the skin ship that she hated to have with other people. _Exclusively for best friends only_. She smiled.

"Alright that's enough, let's head back." Hotaru unwrapped Mikan's arms and held her hand, pulling her.

"You know Hotaru," Mikan said, "when you pinched my nose, I felt a sense of déjà vu."

Hotaru smirked. Looks like the mind didn't remember, but the body did.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Hope you enjoyed it! This chapter was pretty dark... :O**


	8. Chapter 8 - Restraint

**Authoress's Note:**

**Yay! I finally edited a new chapter! School holidays ended and I am reverting back to being a zombie in school :( So tiring DX But clicking the submit button for this story cheers me up hahaha!**

**Thanks for reading this! *less than 3* - If you know what that means ;)  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

"So..." Natsume said, leaning against his room door. "Remind me why we're having the party here?"

He narrowed his eyes at the group of people invading his room, invading his _private_ space.

"But your room is the biggest!" Mikan pouted, making the Pani rabbits (Anna & Nonoka), who had a thing for cuteness, giggle.

"Wow...I heard that your room was big. But this is BIG." Iinchou gaped at the unusual size of the room, like it was catered for bears to live in.

"And it's sound proof too. I really can't hear anything outside this room." Koko commented, revealing his pointy bat ears which Anna couldn't resist to play with, even though she had her own. It was just too different from hers.

Natsume sighed and grumbled in a low voice, making Ruka chuckle. Ruka noticed that Natsume had changed a lot since meeting Mikan. He didn't use to be so open and accepting of the people around him as compared to last time. He was really glad of Natsume's change as it had been his lifetime wish to see Natsume end his painful life. He never liked seeing him suffer, especially after missions. It made him feel helpless as he couldn't help his dear friend. He couldn't do anything at all.

And so the slumber party began with Anna and Nonoka revealing their slumber party 'snacks'. As usual, they looked weird and some looked inedible at first glance. However, they knew that despite the appearance, it was oh-so-delicious! But one thing though... There were too many carrot dishes!

Koko made a disgusted face, "I hate carrots..."

They talked non-stop and eventually came to the sensitive topic. Relationship talks! Everyone knew it was a must when it came to slumber parties!

"So... How many confession letters have you received Ruka?" Koko eyed Ruka, moving his eyebrows up and down in quick motions.

"Wha-what?" Ruka stuttered, surprised by the sudden question. "N-no such thing!" His face turned pink.

"Don't be shy Ruka! Everyone knows you're the Prince Charming!" Mikan giggled, nudging him in the ribs. And although it seemed like Ruka's face couldn't get any redder, it did.

"Where's your white horse?" Koko snorted, "Wait...you ARE one!"

Everyone laughed, holding their stomachs. Even Natsume seemed to have cracked up slightly at that joke.

"Why does everyone like to make horse jokes..." Ruka shook his head, not understanding one bit.

As the night got later, the gang was fast asleep. To be exact, all but two. Silence and tension mixed around in the air, Mikan was sitting on the bed while Natsume was at his favorite spot.

The window.

She figured that all cats, big or small, loved windows. Thinking of cats, she suddenly remembered the day when she awoke to find Natsume in his shifted form, snuggling beside her. Her lips curved upwards at the thought of it.

She wanted to see him in his animal form again. It was so beautiful to her, and she wondered why other people were so afraid of him. How could anybody be afraid of such a cute panther who actually purrs? She had seen different alices in their shifted forms throughout her short school life, and all of them never failed to amaze her.

There were the grizzlies that looked fierce from head to toe, the polars who seemed to scoot off to the nearest shady spot during summer, and other species of bears that were different in their own unique way (but they all loved honey). The felines were mostly lions, tigers (like Hotaru), leopards and the only panther. They all liked their personal space, and roared at any goon who annoyed them. The cute and small ones like rabbits and dogs were super perky. There were also the wolves who were all about their packs.

Strange enough, she got along with the wolves like the high school principal, Narumi-sensei, and the other wolf alices. It was like she felt an unexplainable connection to them. Maybe she was more of a wolf person.

Her life was exciting so far, with the exception of Sumire who played pranks on her. Well, she could understand. It was pretty obvious she liked Natsume, but Natsume kept her at bay.

"Just now..." Natsume broke the silence, and turned his head to look at her. "Well...they were having the relationship talks..."

Natsume said, not exactly hitting the point. He paused, not continuing his sentence.

"Uh huh?" Mikan questioned, prompting him to continue.

"..." _Screw it. Be a man Natsume. _He took a deep breath, "Do you have anyone you like?"

She froze. Did he hit jackpot?

She cleared her throat, and swallowed her saliva.

"Well..." She sat up straight and played with her fingers, thinking about what to say.

Natsume tapped his fingers, feeling very curious about what she was going to say. He felt like the silence was killing him slowly. He was so close to roaring at her to ask her to spit it out. But he reminded himself to be rational.

"I might have someone I like..." She finally confessed, her cheeks turning a rosy pink. He felt like someone grabbed his neck at that moment, suffocating him.

"Who is it?" He finally managed to choke the words out. _Who is that bastard? I'll kill him._ Depending on her answer, he would be ready to hunt that bastard down. Wait scratch that, her answer didn't matter. His sharp claws were already embedded in the windowsill, and his eyes blazed with jealousy.

"Ehh! It's a secret!" she covered her face, acting like the teen she is. "But he's cute at times... like when he gets embarrassed. And he is always there whenever I need him to be..." she smiled with a face that radiated love, a smile that Natsume didn't want to share with anyone. It was good they were the only two awake now.

She turned her head and looked at the direction where Ruka and Hotaru was. It couldn't be Hotaru because she definitely said he. Was it Ruka? He dug his claws deeper, as the pain in his heart grew stronger. He never felt such jealousy towards Ruka before. Never.

He wanted to ask her whether it was Ruka, but at the same time, he didn't want to know. He sighed deeply, feeling at complete loss. This woman was driving him crazy!

"Whatever..." When Natsume said that, Mikan's shoulders slumped and looked a bit disappointed. Does Natsume really not care about me?

He walked towards her, and laid down on the bed.

"Errr..." A look of confusion replaced her disappointed look. Okay so... Natsume was in his bed. Like duh. But... she was in his bed too. Memories of them sharing a bed replayed in her mind. Her heart did that fluttering thing and she could feel the butterflies doing air flips in her stomach.

He seemed to know what was going on in her head, and he gave his signature sexy crooked smile.

"What Polka? Oops I meant-" He flipped up her skirt casually, "strawberry prints. It's not like it's the first time."

"P-PER-" she nearly screamed, but covered her mouth with her hands. "Pervert! You never change!" She said, in a hushed voice.

Natsume chuckled, he really enjoyed teasing her. Teasing her was his new purpose in life.

"Well I'm not about to share a bed with you! Again!" She got up and left his bed, only to find his arm wrapped around her waist like a hook.

Seeing her leave the bed, Natsume reached his arm out and grabbed her waist, pulling her back into his bed like it was a reflex action.

"What are you doing?!" She wriggled like a worm, unable to break away from his super strong hold.

He pulled her closer, and spooned her. _Just this moment. Let me have this moment._ He inhaled deeply, nuzzling her neck, taking in the sweet citrus scent on her. She really smelt like mandarin oranges. He felt her hair and brought it to his nose. It was the softest and silkiest hair he had ever known, and he felt like he could play with her hair all day. Her body was soft and slightly curvy, and he moved his hand to feel those curves. When she moaned, he shivered a little. He brought his mouth to her neck and left a trail of butterfly kisses down her nape. His hands were still feeling those delicious curves. He unleashed his fangs and was about to bite her neck, but she suddenly giggled.

"N-no it tickles!" she continued giggling like a small child. He liked the sound of her laughter, it was like a melody in his ears.

And then he came to the realisation that he was so close to marking her as his mate. So close to bringing her into the darkness. _Don't stop._ His inner beast called out to him, trying to lure him into the trap. _You know you want her. You need her._ But he wasn't going to give in to the traitor. Not yet.

He reluctantly let go of her waist and turned to face the opposite direction.

"It's cold on the floor. You can't withstand the cold so well unlike them. They have fur." Natsume breathed, "Now go to sleep."

_As if I can!_ Mikan screamed in her mind. Her body feeling hot, and she could still feel his touch on her. She didn't want to admit it but...she wanted more.

* * *

Natsume groaned as he felt his cell phone vibrating. It had been a long time since he had a good sleep and the cell phone just had to destroy his hopes of a good night. He sluggishly reached out for his cell phone on the desk, and opened it, the light blinding his sensitive eyes.

_Sender: Unknown_

_Saturday, 3.45 AM_

_Meet at the Dock in 2hrs._

He rolled his eyes and exhaled. He always hated receiving texts from the unknown number. It was never anything good. He put on his mask, which was black and white, with whiskers and sharp pointy ears. This mask gave him a new identity within his organisation. It allowed him to hide his face and mask his panther scent so that they wouldn't find out he was Natsume from Gakuen Alice. He made his way to his destination, quietly sneaking out of the school so that no one would notice. He couldn't risk getting noticed, especially by Persona. This was a secret that belonged to him and him only.

He arrived at the Dock, only to find a male with reddish-brown hair, and his lackey beside him. The full-human turned around and gave a sly grin. Natsume scowled at the man, hating him to the very bone. But luckily he had his mask on, so that his face full of disdain would not give him away.

"Punctual as always huh, Black Cat?"

'Black Cat', it was his alias in this organisation. No one knew anything about him except his alias, despite being in this organisation for 3 years.

"Cut the crap." he said curtly.

"Hey! You better respect our leader!" His lackey shouted, pointing his gun at Natsume. The redhead placed his hand on the pistol, and brought it down gently.

"Now now Gorou, we all know that the Black Cat is always pissy." He chuckled.

Natsume narrowed his eyes. If he could rip the man's throat out with his claws and fangs, he would gladly do it without hesitation. But that would risk his identity being found out, especially since he was dealing with AAO in front of him. AAO, Anti-Alice Organisation. An infamous full-human organisation dedicated to hunting down alices, and their aim was to eventually wipe them off the face of the world.

They had been known to already completely eradicate some alice species, and this put fear on alice organisations. Part of his duty in Gakuen Alice was to go against this organisation. During his days, he had seen the brutality of AAO. They captured innocent alices and tortured them, did revolting experiments on them, and many other disgusting things that was simply inhuman. Funny how they called Alices monsters when they were worse than them.

He abhorred them, and he despised himself for betraying the academy and joining AAO as well. But this was necessary in order to complete his revenge. He needed to destroy AAO from inside out. Destroy AAO for harming alices, and for murdering his family. His panther roared in despair every time he woke up from the nightmare of seeing his family killed right in front of his eyes. He roared so loudly that he suspected everyone in the building could hear. He remembered waking up in agony, drenched in sweat, his hand clutching his heart area. It was like someone ripped his heart into pieces, and as if that wasn't enough, it was stepped on repeatedly without mercy.

Natsume had cried until his tears dried up. From the day he stopped crying, he swore he would get his revenge on them. He would never forgive AAO. NEVER. He clenched his fists so hard until they were shaking, and blood was oozing out. It was a good thing he was wearing gloves.

"Your job is simple this time. Just some tracking."

Natsume's shoulders slumped down a little, relieved at the thought he wouldn't have to get blood on his hands that night. The lackey handed him a file containing the details of the person he was supposed to track. He grabbed the file, without having contact with the full-human.

"I want you to infiltrate Gakuen Alice and follow her silently. The details are inside, you know what to do." With that, the leader and his lackey got into the black Jaguar XF parked in an inconspicuous place, and sped away.

Natsume opened the file, and took a brief glance and the information.

_An alice huh? Hokkaido wolf. I thought they were on the 'eradicated' list?_

_Gender, Female. _

_Date of birth, January 1st. Currently 16 this year._

_Blood type, A._

And he read on about more information about this lone Hokkaido wolf. He pulled out the photo of the Hokkaido wolf in her human form, who was smiling brightly like the Sun. He pitied her for being under the watch of AAO. But when he took a clearer look at her face, his eyes widened.

_It can't be... this doesn't make sense._

* * *

**A/N:**

**For every alice, they will have only one mate in their lives. Once a couple has mated, their body smell will change in a way that other alices know that they are already 'taken'.**

**In a way, it's saying that 'you belong to only me and I belong to only you'. Hence, once an alice has mated, he or she is unable to find another mate anymore.**


	9. Chapter 9 - When he was gone

**Authoress's Note:**

**Hello readers! Sorry for the wait :D I kinda hope i didn't make Natsume too OOC here :\ Without further ado, enjoy reading!**

**Reviews are appreciated! :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

Meanwhile, Mikan was on Natsume's bed, wriggling and squirming in discomfort. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her breathing quickened. She groaned in her sleep, tossing her head left and right.

_"Run..."_ The voice sounded tired and choked, like the person was taking her last breath.

_"R-run Mikan! I'm s-" she coughed up blood, her face twisted in pain. Claw marks could be seen on her, but the most obvious one was the one on her throat. That one was fatal. There was no hope for her anymore._

_"No... No mother! I will not abandon you! Never!" Mikan in her dream wailed, grasping her 'mother's' weak hand in her own bloody ones. Her mother, who was lying on the forest floor, extended her hand out and caressed her cheeks. _

_Her smile was painfully obvious that it was devoid of energy, but still she forced herself to. "I'm sorry... Blame it on my weakness..."_

_"No mother! It's not your fault! Definitely not!" _

_"Looks like I'll be joining your father first..." Mother looked towards the sky and gazed up lovingly, as if her husband was calling for her. She reached out her hand towards the sky and smiled faintly, blood trickling down her chin._

_"Live on Mikan..."_

_"Please...don't abandon me." Mikan choked, "Don't leave me alone!" she pleaded desperately._

_"I love..." Mother took a final breath, "you..." and then stopped breathing. Her body went limp, and her hand dropped down. Mikan screamed in agony, resting her head on her mother's body. Her throat felt hoarse and scratchy, but she wouldn't stop wailing. Her heart was ripped into shreds, and she felt at a complete loss. She was all alone now, both her parents found their happiness in the other world, leaving her to face the cruel reality by herself._

_Just then, a huge wolf came out of the darkness, and growled at her. Her heart skipped a beat and she was rooted deep into the ground. Her mother's last words echoed in her mind._

_She HAD to run. The wolf prowled, as if waiting for the chance to jump on her. She picked herself up and gingerly took a step back. _

_Hearing the branch under her foot snap, the two of them perked up. Mikan ran for her life, while the wolf chased after her. She knew she couldn't outrun a wolf, so she felt herself changing into another form. _

_And then her predator charged towards her, pouncing on her. Both of them snarled at each other, jaws snapping and claws against each other._

Mikan jumped out of bed in shock. What was that dream? It felt so real, like she was really experiencing it. But she shook her head in denial, trying to calm her mind down. Mikan in her dreams couldn't shift... Mikan was a full-human. It was impossible, right?

"Mikan?" Hotaru spoke up, violet eyes full of concern. "Are you okay?"

"Mikan-chan! You're sweating buckets! What happened?" Anna gasped, and took a tissue to wipe her sweat. The gang crowded around her, Iinchou patted her on her back and Koko handing her some water.

"I...I'm fine." Mikan accepted the water, and chugged it down. "Just a bad dream." A real bad one.

She looked around and realised there was one missing person from their gang.

Ruka seemed to know what she was thinking and answered her. "Natsume probably left for a mission. It happens all the time." He looked out of the window, his face marred with worry. He was the only one who knew that Natsume was a double agent, and he would ensure he would remain so.

"I see..." She said with disappointment. She never needed Natsume to be by her side so badly before. She wanted him to stay beside her, giving her the much needed comfort. Mikan felt like when Natsume was here, she could forget all her worries and feel at complete ease. She clutched the blanket in her hands, which was the one she had shared with Natsume.

_Natsume...where are you?_

* * *

Just like that, Saturday, Sunday, and a half of Monday flew by, but Natsume was still not back in the Academy. Mikan was out of it for these few days, her heart felt heavy and she just didn't have the energy to be her usual self. She was counting every minute and second that Natsume wasn't with her, and as the numbers grew larger, she felt lonelier. Not one moment did she not spend time thinking about his whereabouts and his safety. Did he get injured during his mission? Why was he taking so long? Where was he now?

She sighed for the umpteenth time, and this time her sigh was longer than the previous one. After Natsume went away, she realised how much impact he had on her. Her usual colourful world became dull and monotonous. Breath-taking scenery and clear blue sky, well screw those shit. Nothing seemed fun, and her life felt like it was on replay. Many times she got caught zoning out, but she just brushed it off.

There was one thing she found puzzling though. Even though Ruka said Natsume was on a mission, Persona who was in charge of assigning missions didn't know where he was either.

Persona did try to enquire of his locations but Ruka managed to come up with excuses to cover up for Natsume. When Persona approached them, the students in the classroom were petrified and they froze in their spots. Especially the smaller animals that were typical preys of snakes. Nobody dared to move an inch when the venomous snake was around. Persona stared at Mikan for the longest time, and Mikan stared back, wondering what the deal with him was. She held her ground against him, feeling no fear against the man because she didn't find malice in his eyes.

Persona merely snorted and sauntered away. When he left the classroom, the students let go of the breath they didn't know they had been holding.

"Mikan-chan! Are you okay?" Anna grabbed her shoulders frantically.

"Yeah why?" Mikan asked, confused at the situation.

"Persona snorted at you!_ The_ Persona never snorts!'

Mikan merely chuckled and reassured her friend that she was fine.

Back in their room, Mikan flopped onto her bed with her forehead resting on her arms. Monday was ending and still no sign of Natsume. Three days. The man had been gone for THREE whole days! Didn't he have a phone or something? Why couldn't he call her? It wasn't difficult to punch a few buttons right? She hated how Natsume was making an emotional mess out of her, making her feel like she was on the most dangerous emotional rollercoaster ever. Sometimes he was nice, sometimes he could be a jerk and sometimes he could be all intimate and push her away the next moment. The raven-haired man was the very definition of ever-changing.

Feeling frustrated, she paddled her leg back and forth on the bed, hitting it as hard as she could. She wanted to vent everything out but she couldn't put her feelings into words, so what came out was a groan instead.

"What's wrong? You're not your usual noisy self." Hotaru removed her bag and placed it on the floor, and then removed her jacket to hang it on the stand.

"You're so mean Hotaruuuu~ I'm not noisy!"

OHH Hotaru doubted so badly. But she did notice that her usually perky friend had been feeling down ever since the slumber party. She opened her bag and pulled out a box, and then she tapped Mikan's shoulders, presenting the box in front of Mikan's face.

Mikan's face brightened up immediately, her eyes gleamed with delight. "HOWALONS!" She squealed at the sight of her favourite treats. Howalons were just so fluffy and delicious! She could eat it every day and not get sick of it. The time is just right for her to binge on howalons and forget all about the jerk who left her alone without a word. Not that he was obliged to anyway. She opened the pink box and gently handled a howalon fluff, treating it like it was her precious baby. She put the fluff into her mouth, letting the softness and sweetness melt into her mouth like a marshmallow. The milk oozed out of it, bring her to heaven.

"Mmmm..." Mikan licked her lips and fingers, not wasting any bit of it. "Thanks Hotaru~ that's why you're my best friend!" she snuggled against her friend, who pushed her away playfully.

"Cheer up yeah?" Hotaru smiled ever so slightly, a hint of blush could be seen on her cheek. _Best friends..._ It's been a long time since she's heard that.

Suddenly, they could hear rattling noises coming from their window. The sound of the window being opened entered their ears, and Hotaru shot up, partially shifting into her lithe tiger form. Her ears and tail popped out, fangs and claws found their entrance. She crouched down on the floor in a battle stance, ready to pounce on the intruder if needed. Her violet eyes narrowed dangerously, and a low growl came deep from within her. Mikan got up silently and reached for her umbrella, on the desk beside the bed, which she branded as her 'weapon of choice'.

The 'man in black' with a strange cat mask climbed into their room, and swept the leaves off his shoulders. Hotaru perked up her nose and then withdrew from her battle stance. She stood straight and placed her hands on her hips.

"What the hell-" she was cut off when Mikan charged towards the mysterious intruder with her pathetic weapon, unleashing a 'battle cry'.

"Wait Mikan!" Hotaru shouted, but it was too late. Mikan already lifted her hand up and brought it down. The man caught her wrist in reflex action, slightly surprised by her sudden aggression. Mikan squirmed around, unable to break away from his iron grip.

"Dammit let me go!" she exclaimed, still trying to pull away from his grasp. Hotaru merely sighed, too tired to explain the situation to her friend who was wriggling like a worm. Just a moment ago, Hotaru was about to pounce on the man when his strong and heavy scent invaded her nose. She must have figured that he purposely made his scent stronger so that he wouldn't raise her natural defensive warning system that he had as well. Smart move, she thought.

All predatory alices had this almost instinctual habit to go into defense and offense mode when someone else invaded their territory. If he didn't take precaution, he might have to brace for a feral tiger lunging for his throat. That was something he definitely wanted to avoid, especially since it was between two felines. Two felines fighting equates bloodshed, it was messy business that both of them didn't want to show innocent Mikan.

"Oi Polka! Calm down!" He said in a low, guttural voice. Mikan recognised that deep voice that always sent shivers down her spine, and that particular name-calling. She visibly relaxed, causing him to relax his grip on her as well. He removed his mask to reveal his face, and Mikan's heart skipped a beat for a moment.

"Natsume..?" Her lips trembled, and her brows drew closer to one another. "What are you doing here?" _Where were you? I missed you so much..._

"Well... I wanted to see your face." He stared straight into her eyes, and straight into her soul. His gaze was magnetic, making her feel like she was being pulled towards him. _That's what I wanted to say. _She couldn't take it anymore. Her emotions was a ticking bomb that was due, and she just exploded there and then. Tears welled up in her eyes, blurring her view when she looked up at him.

Natsume wondered why she was silent all of a sudden. Did she feel grossed out when he said that he wanted to see her? And then she suddenly looked up. Crystal-like tears rolled down her lovable cheeks, making Natsume flustered at his situation.

"Wh-why are you crying?" He opened and closed his hands, not knowing what to do, and bit his bottom lip. He wished he knew how to comfort a crying girl right now. He reached out his hand and awkwardly patted her shoulder. And then she suddenly slammed into his chest, repeatedly banging on it with her hands.

"It's all your fault!" She sobbed like a child, "I...I was worried about you! Very worried!" She continued to say something but it was simply inaudible because of all the crying. Realization hit him hard on the head. The brunette cared for him. He was almost sure it was safe to say that she wanted him the way he wanted her.

Without a word, he embraced her tightly within his arms, and she returned it with a strong hug. Her body fit perfectly within his, and it was like she was made for him. They loosened their holds of each other, and looked into each others eyes. Their heads naturally leaned forward and their lips were only inches apart, when someone cleared their throat.

"You seem to be forgetting me." Hotaru folded her arms, upset that she was completely forgotten about.

Natsume rolled his eyes and twisted the side of his lips. "Read the mood will you?" he said arrogantly, in front of THE renowned blackmailing queen. The two of them glared at each other, zapping each other with their exchange. Mikan looked at both of them, _They never stop fighting do they?_ She nudged Natsume in the ribs, causing him to jerk slightly at the sudden contact.

He looked down at her face, which pleaded him not to fight with her precious Hotaru. It was Hotaru over him huh? He didn't like this. NOW he found a whole new reason to fight with Hotaru. He opened his mouth to protest but she brought her slender finger to his mouth. Oh how he wanted to bite that finger!

"Please?" She tilted her head, and looked at him with her big, round eyes, increasing her cuteness level by a million times. He felt his heart pounding against his chest, rapid and non-stop.

"Fine." He grumbled, looking away. Look into her eyes any longer and he didn't know what he would do.

_"So,"_ Hotaru spoke with her eyes, _"explain to me why you are here at this time of the night?"_ She wanted to know the main reason why Natsume was here so late.

Natsume, who understood what she was saying, stole a furtive glance at Mikan. _"This conversation is between me and you only."_ he replied Hotaru back using the same method.

"Mikan, would you do me a favour and help me get my usual coffee from the vending machine?" Hotaru knew their room was way far from the sole vending machine she bought her coffee from.

"Well... Sure!" Gullible Mikan was confused at the sudden request but she accepted anyway.

She grabbed some coins and opened the door, "Be nice Natsume!" and then made her way to the vending machine.


	10. Chapter 10 - Permy

**Authoress's Note:**

**Hello readers! I am back with chapter 10 yipee! I had fun writing this one because we all know Sumire is not as bad as she seems :)**

**Thanks for the reviews, favs and follows!**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

"Speak." The atmosphere was nerve-wrecking because it was like two mob bosses speaking to each other. Their words were short and curt, and both of them simply didn't bother to sugarcoat their words.

"I received an order to track an alice from our school."

"And what does that have to do with us?"

Unable to explain, he pulled out the file, which the leader gave to him, from within his coat. Hotaru eyed him suspiciously, and opened the file slowly. Her eyes widened when she read the details but quickly reverted back to normal.

"You don't seem as shocked as I thought you would be." Natsume expected that Hotaru would be really surprised to find out that her best friend, who was full-human, was actually an alice. A supposedly extinct Hokkaido Wolf alice to boot.

"...I knew it a long time ago." She looked down, recalling the days where she used to practice shifting with Mikan under the tutelage of her parents, Yuka and Izumi. She smiled faintly at the memory of Mikan complaining how it was so difficult to switch between fully shifting and partially shifting. And when they finally mastered it, both of them plopped onto the ground drenched in sweat.

"What?" Natsume frowned, not knowing how to feel. Hotaru heaved a sigh and told him the entire story of how she knew Mikan was an alice.

Although she was only 5 at that time, she remembered each detail perfectly. She joined a shifter school in her town, and that was where she met Mikan. In her school, she was disliked and bullied for being weak. As a tiger, she was supposed to be the strong one, but somehow she couldn't call out to her alice properly. Her classmates called her names behind her back, thinking that she wouldn't find out. Hotaru didn't care anyway, the haters were going to hate, and so be it. She gradually distanced herself from her classmates, but only one person extended her hand out to her.

That person was Mikan.

Mikan wasn't like the others. She was kind and impartial, and didn't look down on her weakness. She would spend every day with her, and even brought her to her house to ask her parents to train her. To Hotaru, Mikan was more than just a friend. They were sisters even closer than real siblings. Nothing separated them, until the day she had to be transferred.

Her parents had enrolled her into Gakuen Alice to be with her brother, Subaru. She didn't want to leave Mikan, but she had no choice. She was in no position to go against her parents.

Knowing Mikan, she would probably just bawl all day long with snot coming out of her nose. She didn't want to see Mikan like that. It would probably make her feel like crying too. It was probably better not to tell her so Hotaru merely left a letter in Mikan's mailbox the day she left, without bidding farewell.

It wasn't farewell to Hotaru, she would see Mikan again one day, and she crossed her heart.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Whew I've finally reached the vending machine!" Mikan wiped a sweat off her forehead, and took out some coins. "I wonder why Hotaru only buys coffee from this vending machine..."

Seeing that she had some extra coins, she decided to buy another can to figure out what was so special about the coffee. After hearing a clank sound, she bent down to retrieve the coffee cans from the take-out port. Just as she stood up, she felt a hit that felt like a ton on the back of her neck. She staggered forward, her vision blurry. She could feel the blood rushing to her head, and her head was literally spinning.

She struggled to turn around to see the culprit but before she knew it, she dropped the cans and fell forward because of the dizzy spells. Man, this person sure could hit hard! She felt unfamiliar arms holding her waist, picking her up. Her mouth opened to scream for help but darkness consumed her first.

_Natsume..._

* * *

Sumire swaggered along the hallway with her head held high. Wherever she went, she displayed an aura of confidence whether or not there were people around her. She believed that being an alice meant that she was superior and gifted compared to regular humans, and this applied to all other alices as well. Full-humans were self-centered and only worked for profit. They only strived for power and wouldn't give a damn about the consequences. She had seen so many of such humans that she found it revolting and transferred to Gakuen Alice.

When she saw the all-mighty Natsume and Ruka, her heart pounded hard. She knew that that was the kind of alice she wanted to be. Proud, confident and strong. She had spent years chasing after their shadows, and just that made her happy already. However, Sakura Mikan changed everything in her life. A mere full-human like her easily got close to her beloved princes, whereas she could not. Sumire tried to warn Mikan countless times to get out of the academy, but the clueless girl always had the backing of her princes and the evil queen.

Despite all her warnings, the brunette never got angry at Sumire. Mikan even treated her warmly without any ulterior motives. Sumire was baffled by her actions and attitude. Shouldn't Mikan hate her? The full-humans she knew were cold and unfeeling, yet this one was warm... Just like the Sun. It even made her feel like being her friend.

_No! Snap out of it Sumire! You hate full-humans and she is one!_ She slapped her cheeks so hard that her handprints was very visible. The pain would wake her up from her delusion. Sumire shook her head to clear her mind, and decided to get some coffee to wake her mind up.

As she approached the vending machine, she saw Mikan from the distance. _Speak of the devil._ And then all of a sudden, a second figure appeared behind her and karate-chopped her from behind. Following that, the unknown man in black leather jacket and tight jeans picked her unconscious body up and slung her over his shoulder like a sand bag. _Wh-what just happened? _She flustered, and hid behind a pillar just in case she would get spotted. She eyed the two as the man who looked like some spy walked off.

_Who's that suspicious looking guy? What is he doing with that annoying girl?_ She bit her fingernail, _What should I do? Should I follow them?_ She closed her eyes to think. Why should she risk her life and save the girl? Shouldn't she be glad the annoying girl was finally gone? Something sharp pricked her heart, and she could hear a voice at the back of her mind reprimanding her. She clicked her tongue, feeling frustrated. _I...I'm just doing this because that guy is obviously an intruder! I am definitely not doing it for Mikan!_

She gathered her mind and stalked the mysterious man, while masking her scent.

* * *

The man stealthily made his way out of the building and into the backyard. He didn't want to risk alerting the vigilant alarm system. As he was escaping, he felt like he was being followed. He walked a few steps and paused, and his suspicions were confirmed. Footsteps that did not belong to him could be heard. He stood in the middle of the backyard, which was not covered by security cameras.

He put down the light weighted girl slung over his shoulder, "Come out. I know you're there."

His stalker was undaunted, and fearlessly walked out to show her face.

Looks like she was caught. Sumire folded her arms and tilted her head. "What are you doing with a student of our school?"

The unknown man smirked mockingly, as if she was dumb to not know what was going on. "Oh just taking this beautiful lady out on a date," and then he snorted through his nose, "obviously doing something shady duh."

A vein popped in her head. How dare a full-human mock her! This man sure has the balls to do so!

"I see... Mind if I join?" She unleashed her claws, and lunged forward at the man.

The man dodged her skillfully with a slight body movement to the right. He placed one arm on his hip and moved his index finger, provoking her to attack once more. And she did.

"Is that all you can do?" He said with a bored tone, while evading her swift punches with mere movements of his head. "Are alices that weak?"

"What did you say?!" She gave a left hook, only to find her wrist being caught and her body flung to the ground. She groaned in pain, holding her back.

Just then, Mikan stirred after hearing all those noises. Her mind felt really heavy just now but it was clearing up now. She opened her eyes, only to find Sumire and a strange man exchanging blows. Were they practicing fighting moves or something? She smacked herself in her head. What was she talking about? This was a real fight!

She saw Sumire trying her hardest to fight back, but she was obviously overpowered. She got flung to the ground and could not get up. The man was about to deliver another blow but Mikan wouldn't stand for it.

Mikan rushed out, and covered Sumire with her body, getting struck in the process. She cried out in pain, but it was worth it for her self-proclaimed friend.

"B-Baka!" Sumire shouted, surprised to find Mikan covering for her.

"Are you okay Permy?" Mikan smiled weakly, trying to erase any trace of pain on her face. Which she obviously failed big time.

"Are you stupid? Why did you cover for me?!" Sumire helped Mikan up, one hand around her shoulder and the other around her waist. Why did Mikan help her? She had no reason to!

"You're my friend aren't you? Friends help each other..." she coughed.

Sumire felt her body temperature rise, and she looked away from Mikan's piercing eyes. "W-who and who are friends! That's disgusting!" she said, her ear turned beet red. But she had to admit... she was actually kind of happy.

"Aww friendship," the man said with an annoying fake tone, "how touching."

_Seriously, this man is irritating! Although I hate to admit it, I can't defeat him in my partially shifted form..._ She surveyed her surroundings, confirming that they were the only three people here.

"Look annoying girl, you better not tell anyone what you see." Mikan looked at her confusingly, but later understood when she saw Sumire shifting into her animal. Or should she say _animals_?

Sumire was lean and kind of small compared to Natsume's form. Her fur was green with darker green stripes covering her legs. She had slit jade coloured irises that shone in the dark, much like a jewel. Her paws resembled a dog's, big and strong. Her striped tail was long and thin, just like a cat's.

The man flinched a little, but he tried to stand his ground. But he made the wrong choice. He should have ran instead of reaching for his weapon. The silly man was completely no match for Sumire's enhanced speed and prowess. Sumire tightened her powerful leg muscles, letting out a threatening bark, and lunged forward to bite his arm. She brought her weight down on him and slammed him onto the ground, still digging deeper into his arm. The man let out a bloodcurdling scream, and kicked her in her stomach.

She leapt high, avoiding his kick, and hissed at him. Sumire then unleashed her razor sharp claws and swatted at his face, leaving nasty claw marks. The man scrambled backwards, and cowardly ran away with one arm bleeding profusely and his face scarred. Mikan winced at the sight of his injury, and bet that the man was more mentally scarred as compared to physically. To be honest, she kind of felt bad for the guy.

Sumire shifted back into human form, putting her clothes on so fast that it was impossible to catch.

"That'll teach him not to look down on alices!" Sumire said with gusto, proud of her work.

Mikan stared at her in amazement, her mouth wide open.

"Wow... You're so strong Permy!" she patted her on the shoulder, feeling her muscles.

Sumire swatted her hand away in embarrassment, "Stop calling me Permy! And you better not tell anyone you saw my alice form!"

"You mean your cat-dog form?" Mikan said, completely ignoring her warning, "Why? It's cute!"

Sumire blushed even harder, covering her face with her hands.

"...Hybrids like me look weird. It just looks wrong." she looked down, remembering how her bullies used to call her a freak. She swore to get stronger and get vengeance on them. And she did, paying them back tenfold. She remembered the satisfaction she felt when she saw their faces. It was the greatest moment of her life, other than meeting her princes.

"Nonsense!" Mikan exclaimed, holding Sumire's hands. "Cats are cute, and so are dogs. So mix them together, and you'll get super cute!"

"... Weirdo." _But I kind of like her..._


	11. Chapter 11 - Under The Sakura Tree

**Authoress's Note:  
**

**Okay I felt so embarrassed while writing this. I think i might have to change the rating back to M again XD Thank you to the guests and my followers for reviewing! *hearts***

**And sooo...Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

_Back in the room..._

"So the last time I saw her was when I was 7," Hotaru sighed, "until she came into the academy as an amnesiac."

Natsume merely listened silently, without interrupting her. So apparently, the two were close friends. (Although Hotaru seemed to enjoy 'abusing' Mikan. Maybe that was just her way of expressing her affections.) But that still didn't explain why the leader was after her.

Hotaru glanced at the clock on the wall, "She seems to be taking too long a trip."

"Yeah... it's been an hour." Natsume brought his fist to his mouth, and appeared to be in deep thought.

Although the vending machine WAS far, it wasn't far enough for her to take an hour. She could probably be talking to someone she met on the way, but at this time, there was hardly anyone around. He rested his hand on his heart, and he could feel it beating quickly. It was as if he could feel that something bad was going on. He looked at Hotaru who seemed to think the same way. They nodded at each other and left the room.

"Damn it!" Natsume slammed his fist against the vending machine, and clenched his fist hard.

She picked up the coffee cans on the floor, "Seems like someone got her." Hotaru calmly said, but on the inside, it was fire and hell. There was another scent in the air that mixed with Mikan's own, one which Natsume knew very well. There was one thing bugging Natsume. Why was he here? Wasn't he already in charge of tailing Mikan? Why did leader send his lackey? There were many unanswered questions that Natsume needed the answers to, but that wasn't important at this moment.

"Gorou..." Natsume sprinted off, swearing that he'll kill the bastard if he touched a strand of hair on Mikan's body. Wait, he already did. So that settled it, that bastard was going DOWN. He trailed after Mikan's fruity scent which was so much part of his life. Hotaru followed closely, her horse shoe glove already on her hand, and her eyes had a deadly vibe to it. Looks like for once, both of them agreed with each other.

When they arrived at the backyard, their eyes widened at the bloody mess. There was fabric on the grass, and blood splattered everywhere. Almost like a dog had rabies and started attacking someone with their ferocity.

"I thought I smelt something weird back there," Hotaru curved her lips upwards, "so it was you cat-dog."

Sumire and Mikan who were apparently having fun talking turned around at the voice. Mikan jumped forward, pouncing on Hotaru, only to meet her glove.

"Owwie... so mean..." Mikan rubbed her head, crocodile tears leaking from her eyes.

"Don't call me cat-dog you blackmailer!"

Hotaru's eyes glinted, and she smiled menacingly. "Stinky mutt."

"WHAT?! I'm a cat too okay!" Sumire frowned, knowing well herself that cats didn't like her because of the dog in her, and vice versa. That was precisely one reason why Natsume-sama kept her at arm's length, because he was a cat and she a dog. She wished she were a cat-wolf instead of cat-dog because wolves weren't disliked by cats. It was a total misconception that wolves were dogs and wolves would snap if someone called them dog. They really hated being compared to a dog.

"So, what happened?" Natsume questioned, startling Sumire. How could she forget that her prince was here? She collected her sanity and suddenly acted all feminine.

"Ano... you see Natsume-sama~" her voice went up an octave, causing Natsume to wince and plug his ear with his index finger. Sumire saw this and pouted at the rejection, entering a depressed world.

Mikan saw this and giggled, deciding to explain on depressed Sumire's behalf. "Well this happened..." She explained the story in detail, describing how Permy went all 'BAM' and 'POW' against the dude.

"Permy's like super awesome~" she gave a thumbs up, and her face was in awe.

"Hehe...Well, if you say so!" Sumire put her right hand on her neck and the other on her hip, and tilted her head upwards to do a little model pose. Apparently she got so caught up she forgot about the name-calling business that she disliked.

"I guess you can be useful huh?" Hotaru said, acknowledging her slightly. She was thankful that cat-dog had saved Mikan's ass but she wouldn't let it show. She wouldn't want her to get conceited.

But surprisingly, Natsume decided to say something that swept Sumire off her feet. "It was a good thing that you were there." Sumire exploded there and then, and melted into the ground upon hearing his 'compliment'. At least it seemed like that to her.

_Kyaaaa! Natsume-sama just praised me! _ She was so glad she decided to save Mikan! It was the best decision in her life so far.

* * *

After Sumire returned to her room with hearts in her eyes, the three of them were left in the backyard.

Hotaru and Mikan were about to leave when Natsume reached out for Mikan's hand.

"Wait, I need to speak to you."

Mikan looked at him as if he was being strange. She hoped that he wasn't going to scold her for being a trouble again.

Natsume looked at Hotaru and nodded, asking her to go on first. Hotaru grumbled and said in a low voice, "Lovebirds..." and left the scene.

He felt good when she referred to them as lovebirds. Shit, was he already that much in love with her? It seemed as if there was nothing stopping him from falling deeper and harder in love with the unguarded klutz.

They were finally alone and Natsume pulled her towards a Sakura tree, and sat down. Mikan could feel Natsume's body temperature from his hand, and it melted her on the inside. She prayed that he couldn't feel her rapid pulse from their contact, and that her face wouldn't give her away.

"So..." Mikan broke the silence first, "you were saying?"

Natsume did not reply for a while, as if he was collecting his thoughts.

"Have you..." he paused, "remembered your past?"

Mikan flinched when she heard his question, and she knew Natsume could feel her flinch. After all, he didn't let go of her hand.

"I don't know if they're my memories... they feel so surreal..." she gripped his hand slightly, "Sometimes in my dreams, I can see me, crying over a woman who's my 'mother'... She was covered in blood, taking her last breath. She begged for me to run, but I don't know from what or who. The next moment, I found myself running from an alice... He was huge and fast, and h-he jumped on me and-" she shivered, the thought of it caused cold sweat to run down her face. She wrapped her arms around her knees, and pulled them in, putting her head down.

Natsume saw how terrified Mikan was, but he didn't say anything. Nothing he said would erase the fear, and he knew because he had first-hand experience. Instead, he scooted closer to her and put his arm over her shoulder, pulling her in so she could rest on his shoulder.

Natsume's action pulled her from the darkness, and now she felt like she was lying down, basking in the warmth of the sun. Her 'Sun' was very comforting, and she felt like nothing in the world was a problem to her anymore. It was okay to not have her memories and be a person with an empty past. It was okay to wake up in fear and be a sweaty mess. It was okay to be labelled as the 'full-human'. It was okay to be herself. It was okay... as long as he was here. He shook her inner world, and broke every possible barrier she had to her heart. How was it possible to feel such at peace in a world so screwed up?

She leaned against his chest, feeling the movements he made while breathing. His pounding heart matched hers, and it was like a melody to her. His strong arms that wrapped around her shoulder like a vine made her feel so secure and protected.

"I promise you Mikan..." His voice so deep and powerful, it resonated in her ears. "I'll protect you as long as I live." That was all she needed to hear.

"Mmm..." her heart squeezed tightly, and she felt like she was bursting with joy. This moment was forever engraved in her heart and mind, for it was too precious to be forgotten.

Mikan looked up and he looked down. They gazed into each other's orbs longingly, revering the moment. The feelings they had for the other transmitted through their eyes, and no words were needed.

They moved their heads closer slowly, as if time was of no importance to them. Their heads tilted and their lips met. Their lips moved passionately yet delicately, and strongly yet gently. They pulled away for air, but quickly pulled back because they didn't want to leave each other's lips.

Both of them locked their lips and Mikan's hand found itself buried in Natsume's hair. She twirled and played around with it, making him purr in pleasure. She noticed that he liked that particular action, so she continued doing it. He embraced her tighter, and inserted his tongue in her mouth. She jerked in surprise when she felt his tongue enter. She flustered, not knowing what to do. Natsume could feel her nervousness but he wouldn't let her escape. Not now.

He held her neck lightly, causing her to feel ticklish. He positioned her head and moved his tongue with skill, caressing her own with his movements. She moaned in his mouth, feeling the excitement build in her. How can this man be such a good kisser? His mouth was soft and tasted just as sweet as her favourite howalons, making her feel like eating it up.

Suddenly, she could feel his hand crawl sneakily up her back, reaching her bra hook. She squeaked, and pawed at his hands to try to stop him.

"Natsu-" she tried to make out words but he ate her words up with his unsated mouth.

Oh god, this can't go on! She wasn't ready yet, it was her first time! She was confused, and swept away by his perfect kiss. So swept away that she didn't notice he was going so far. She needed to stop him before she lost her sanity over him. So she gathered all her strength and pushed him away. Their lips finally came apart and both of them panted for air.

She glanced at him dreamily and noticed how his hair was a sexy mess. Dammit! Why is this guy so... She bit her lip, and enjoyed the sight of his 'hungry' face.

"...We can't." she forced herself to say.

"Why?" he questioned, with need in his voice.

"I...Not here... Not yet..." _Stupid stupid Mikan! Why are you so gutless!_

"... Fine." Oh no! Was he mad? Mikan panicked, she didn't mean to reject him! She fumbled for words to explain but couldn't get anything out.

He pulled in for another kiss, and licked her lips at the end of it. It happened so fast she didn't have time to think at all.

"W-what?"

"I'll make do with this." He smiled devilishly at her, "For now."

Her face became tomato red and felt so hot as if steam was coming from her face. _This man is a devil!_

After that steamy session, they remained where they were because neither of them wanted to leave.

"Natsume?" she called out.

"Hn?"

"To be honest..." Should she tell him? She was afraid he might find her silly, but then again, she knew Natsume wouldn't be mean to her this way. "In my dream... I shifted into a wolf."

Silence filled the air and as the silence grew, Mikan wondered if she had said the wrong thing.

"Natsume?"

He snapped out of his trance, "Huh? Oh uhh..." He bit his lip, should he tell her? What if she didn't want to be an alice?

"If you were a wolf alice, how would you react?" he tested her first, not sure whether her answer was what he wanted to hear.

"I...I don't know yet. I mean, everyone said I smelt like a full-human, how is it possible for me to be an alice?"

Oh she was wrong, her smell was changing, and Natsume knew this.

"...Who knows?" Natsume looked up into the starry sky, and closed his eyes, resting for a moment. "We should be going, it's getting cold." He rose to his feet, and extended his hand out. She blinked in surprise and used his hand to pull herself up.

"You know Natsume, you can be such a gentleman sometimes."

"Don't you mean all the time," he flipped up her skirt, and lifted the side of his lips, "Polka?"

Her face turned into fifty shades of red and she lifted her hand to hit him, "YOU BIG PERVERT!" but he evaded smoothly.

He chuckled at her, teasing her was just so much fun! The way she got so worked up, and then pout and do that funny thing with her lips. Her lips... He subconsciously brought his face closer to steal another kiss, not giving her a chance to deprive him from it.

"So..." she mumbled, while playing with her fingers. "Are we...you know..."

Natsume raised a brow, unsure of what she was saying.

"Well you know... since we kissed and stuff..." she said, continuing to move her hands awkwardly and randomly.

"Spit it out woman!" he demanded, frustrated at the mind games.

"A-are we in a relationship?" The moment she said that, she covered her mouth as if she had said something presumptuous.

He thought silently and seriously because he swore to himself that he would never drag her into the darkness, and being a relationship would expose her to every danger imaginable. But it was too late now. He had already fallen hard for her, and after today, he confirmed that she was already in danger. He promised to protect her, and that meant being by her side. Besides, he could ward off annoying pests that preyed on her. Despite being a full-human, the oblivious idiot was unaware of the looks boys were giving her. Thinking of it made his blood boil. _She's mine now._

"Hmmm... I don't know." He teased, cocking his head to one side. "Are we?"

Her shoulders slumped in disappointment, and she looked down. "I-I'm sorry... I thought-"

He brought his hand to her cheek and caressed it gently, "Just kidding." He moved in closer to her face, "You're mine now." and he sealed it with a kiss.

* * *

**A/N:  
**

**So...how was it? Don't kill me hahahaha**


	12. Chapter 12 - Avoidance

**Authoress's Note:**

**Sorry for the wait! I've been real busy with school and CCA recently :P But yes chapter 12 is here! *claps* **

**So sit back, relax. and scroll :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

Natsume leaned back on his chair and looked up at the ceiling. Thirty more minutes till the end of boring Math lesson, and then it would be lunch break. He looked at his partner who was mumbling to herself while scratching her head. _Well, at least I have some entertainment._

"Dammit Jin-Jin, why does he teach so fast!" Mikan felt like pulling all of her hair out, "I don't understand!" She continued mumbling to herself, not knowing that Natsume was watching her.

He laughed to himself after seeing how amusing she was being. One moment her face beamed up because she managed to progress with the math question, and the next moment frustration shoved happiness out of the way because she met another roadblock. Seriously, she was a person of many faces!

However, his merry moment was destroyed with the vibration of his phone. He clicked his tongue when he saw the sender. _It's about time huh?_

He stood up and left his seat abruptly, startling the entire class.

"Hyuuga, where do you thing you are going?" Jinno-sensei pointed his stick at the recalcitrant student, giving him his hardest glare.

"Toilet." Natsume blew him off with one word, and exited the room, leaving the class in awe.

Jinno-sensei was flabbergasted at his attitude, but he quickly regained his composure. He cleared his throat and called for the attention of the class, and continued teaching like nothing happen.

* * *

Natsume rested his weight on the tree, knowing that the other person was on the other side. "Speak."

"My my, as rude as ever Natsume." Persona spoke slowly, his voice dripping like poison. His comment was only met with silence from Natsume.

"So... I had been searching for you these few days." He waited, testing Natsume's reaction.

Natsume didn't give away the game, and lied smoothly. "I was here and there. You just missed me." His voice remained impassive, and his face was devoid of expression. There were no unnecessary eye or hand motions.

Persona smirked, "Oh really? That's unlucky of me then." and pushed up his plain white masquerade-like mask. Looks like he trained his student well.

"Anything else you need me for?"

"My only aim was your explanation." He moved his feet, and was about to walk away but he paused. "Word of advice, whatever you do, try not to get caught." With that, Persona left like the passing of a cold wind, leaving not a single trail behind. Natsume grimaced. Did Persona find out about his outside activities? If so, why didn't he expose him? What were his intentions?

His mind was like a maze, and he was lost inside, searching for answers. The bell signaled the start of lunch break, and he returned back to the real world for now. He could figure the answers out later.

* * *

"There you are Natsume!" the brunette skipped cheerfully towards him, energy overflowing from her as usual. "Mou, where have you been?"

She linked arms with him and tugged on it to urge him to move faster.

"Toilet."

She snorted in disbelief, "Come on, everyone's waiting for you slowpoke!" While they were walking, she unknowingly pressed her body against his, making Natsume groan in torture. He could feel how soft her chest was against his arm, and it sent his heart soaring through the sky. He just hoped she wouldn't hear the beating of his heart.

"Yes yes Polka." he said, trying to maintain composure in his voice. She gave him her best angry look, but that only made him tease her even more.

He put his hands up in defence, "Oh scary witch, spare me please!"

Mikan growled at him, and pinched his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?" he said, rubbing his sore arm. The woman sure had strength!

She stuck out her tongue, "Serves you right!"

When they got to the canteen, they collected their food and joined the others at the table, sitting beside each other. They began their meal, and had started small talks. Mikan was eating her food heartily when she saw the bane of her existence. Damn peas got into her fried rice! She clicked her tongue and started digging her rice to pick the evil green balls out.

Natsume turned to see why Mikan suddenly became silent, only to notice she was scowling at her plate. He raised his brow and investigated further, and found out that she was just being a picky eater. He snickered to himself, _What is she, a child?_

He pushed his empty place towards her, motioning for her to give him her peas. She brightened up at him, and quickly scooped them onto his plate, giving him a thankful smile.

What they failed to notice that when they were doing their silent communication thing, the rest of their friends were eyeing them suspiciously, with grins on their faces.

Anna spoke up first, "Sooooo... How come you two are so close all of a sudden?"

"W-what?" Mikan jumped out of her seat, surprised at the sudden question. "I-I, we-" She stuttered and stammered, her face reddening as the stares focused on her.

Anna clapped her hands in enlightenment, "Ahh! Don't tell me..." she poked Mikan, "You two are going out?"

"Ehhh!"

"Seriously?"

"I knew it would happen sooner or later!"

"H-How-" Mikan palmed her red cheeks, too embarrassed to continue her sentence. She nudged Natsume for help but he just leaned back in his seat, looking smug.

"Give us the details girl!"

Lucky for Mikan, she was saved by the bell. "Oooh look at the time! We don't want to be late right?" And she grabbed her tray, hurriedly returned it to the counter and escaped the canteen.

The rest of them sighed in disappointment, and returned their trays too. Natsume held his tray and stood up, but then he noticed Ruka was still sitting.

"Ruka?"

Ruka snapped out of his reverie, and got to his feet. "Huh?"

"You okay?"

"Y-yeah..."

Natsume looked at his friend's back quizzically, wondering why he was acting so weird.

* * *

For the next few days, Ruka had been acting really weird. When Natsume walked towards him, he turned around and walked away. In and outside of class, Ruka didn't even speak a word to him. No eye contact, or body contact in a friendly way. So, Natsume came to the conclusion that the blond was probably avoiding him. But why? Natsume was pretty sure he didn't punch the guy or anything. Unable to take any more avoiding, he went on a hunt for Ruka.

He figured out he'd probably be at the animal centre where the real animals were, he marched into the centre and scouted for Ruka. When he found him, he pulled Ruka into a corner, and pinned him against the wall so that he couldn't escape.

"Ruka," Natsume said, giving intense eye contact, his hands beside Ruka's ears. "What's going on?"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about." he looked to his left with an uneasy expression on his face. Ruka grabbed his own left elbow, tightening his grip on it.

"Bullshit!" Natsume scoffed, "Firstly, you're a bad liar. Secondly, just how long do you think I've been your friend? I thought we had no secrets."

"Well I have my secrets okay? Just..." Ruka bit his lip, afraid to finish the sentence. "Just back off!"

The silence was deafening. And neither of them budged. Natsume hid his eyes under his bangs, hiding the pain in his crimson orbs.

Natsume leaned closer, arms bent, and his head resting on Ruka's shoulder. Ruka could hear him breathing silently, as if to calm himself.

"Ruka..." he broke the silence, "I only have you to count on. If you abandon me, I..."

"Only me to count on? You have Sakura don't you?"

Natsume looked up at Ruka, and something clicked in his head. "Is this about Mikan?"

"..."

"You like her don't you? That's why you're avoiding me."

His friend continued to keep mum, and walked away. Natsume grabbed his hand, his back facing Ruka.

"I need time Natsume. Just... not now."

Natsume's hand dropped back to his side, and he was left all alone in the place he called darkness.

Ruka knocked the back of his head against the wall, and then put his head in between his knees. Ruka felt his heart grew heavier as the scene kept replaying in his mind. Guilt was like a stinging sensation, and the pain was slowly consuming him. The hurt in his friend's voice rang in his ears, and knowing that he was the one who caused it multiplied his guilt by millions. He balled his fists, mentally cursing himself.

Just then, something cold touched his arm. He looked up, only to see the Blackmailing queen handing him soda.

"... What are you doing here?" He took the drink, and muttered a thanks.

"Oh, just comforting a depressed guy." Hotaru took out her camera, and the same calculative expression showed on her face.

"WOW thanks." Ruka rolled his eyes, obviously not in the mood to entertain her.

"Just kidding." Hotaru put down her camera, "so... you wanna talk about it?"

Ruka looked at her, contemplating whether he should tell her. And he did, because he needed to somehow get everything off his one ton chest.

.

.

.

Ruka took a sip of soda, and let out a long breath. Finally he got it off his chest, at least he didn't feel so bottled up anymore.

"So basically, you're an asshole."

"Thanks for rubbing that in. Totally needed that." Ruka sighed, why did he even bother telling her? She was supposed to comfort him, not tell him the painful truth.

"Well, you can't keep avoiding him. You have to face him eventually."

"I know! I know but... I can't." Ruka gazed skyward, "To be honest... I don't even know why I'm this shocked. I always knew they would end up together. I knew it was one-sided on my part. But still... she drew me in like a magnet. She's like the sun to me, and probably Natsume as well. I just wished... I had a chance." A tear trickled down his cheeks, and his lips trembled slightly.

Hotaru inched closer to him, "I'll lend you my shoulder." and tapped her shoulder. "1 rabbit per minute."

Ruka chuckled slightly, _She can be nice sometimes_. "Gee, thanks."

"By the way, did anyone tell you that you have tough shoulders?"

And she flicked his forehead hard, making sure the power came from her 'tough' shoulders.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Oh I just love how Hotaru can be mean yet caring at the same time! Do tell me your thoughts! :D**


	13. Chapter 13 - The Missing Piece

**Authoress's Note:**

**Hey guys sorry for the long wait! The mysterious nii-san will finally be revealed in this chapter ;) But maybe some of you guys already know who he is! Without further ado, enjoy this chapter!**

**Thank you for the favs, follows and reviews :)**

**Please review to tell me your thoughts too okay?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

Natsume made his way to the sakura tree, where he found his lover silently sleeping at. He sat down beside her, and brushed a sakura petal off her nose. He stared longingly at her face, memorising every unique feature of it. She slowly opened her eyes, and saw that the first thing coming into her view was her favourite crimson orbs.

"Hey." She smiled tiredly at him as he caressed her cheeks with the softest touch.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" _Just when I needed you the most._

"Waiting for you. I had a feeling you'd appear here." she rested her head on his chest, and snuggled with him. "So... everything okay?"

He flinched. _How did she know? Was she psychic or something?_

"No silly, I'm not psychic! I just watch you all the time. You and Ruka have been acting weird these days."

Holy shit. He didn't know whether to feel amazed that she could read his mind, or feel happy that she observed him. A little blush crept up his cheeks, but he tried to fight it back.

A moment of silence passed between them, and all they heard were the crickets chirping and the wind blowing. After what seemed like eternity, Natsume finally released the sentence that had been lingering in his mind all day.

"I...hurt Ruka."

.

He had never hurt Ruka before. That was something he couldn't forgive himself for. Ruka had been through thick and thin with him. He was his best friend, and his only family. He remembered the day when he first entered the academy, and everyone else avoided him and treated him as if he were plague. But Ruka was the only one who stretched his hand out to him and accepted him for who he was. The moment he grabbed his hand, something inside him came alive.

Ruka was his pillar of strength for his fragile young self that needed one desperately. They had a bond that he'd thought will never break, but now... he was unsure of it.

Mikan didn't say anything, and just embraced him comfortingly. As he looked up to the sky that was painted black, he felt dampness on his shirt, and on his face.

* * *

After he sent Mikan back to her room, he went back to his room. From a distance, he saw someone standing outside of his door waiting, with his hands stuffed in his pockets and head hung low.

_Ruka..._ Natsume took slow unsure steps towards Ruka, thinking of what he should say in his head.

Ruka heard the footsteps, and jerked his head upwards. He raised his hand stiffly and gave an awkward smile, "Hey..!"

"Uh... Hey." Okay awkwaaaaard. The two of them looked everywhere except at each other. It felt as if someone was squeezing their throats.

"So..." Natsume said with his hand rubbing the back of his neck, his words choked up. There was a freaking tornado inside his mind, but he wouldn't let it show on his face. "Wanna come in?"

"Yeah...sure."

The two of them sat on the sofa, with an awkward distance between them. Neither of them knew how to bring up the subject. Seriously, after what happen, who would?

While Natsume looked outside the window, Ruka fidgeted with his fingers. _Come on Ruka! Be a man!_ He gathered up what little courage he had inside him, "I'm sorry Natsume!" Maybe he said it a little too loudly.

The sudden break in silence caused Natsume's heart to skip a few beats and snap his head in the direction of Ruka.

"No...You have nothing to be sorry about." he said as a matter-of-factly.

"No, I pushed you away... it's my fault. I was immature."

"I should have told you, so it's MY fault."

"No it's not!" Ruka countered, insisting on his point.

"Yes it is."

The two of them glared at each other challengingly, and then broke into a fit of laughter.

"Damn, we just acted like six-year-olds," Natsume playfully punched Ruka on his right shoulder, another hand hiding his smirk.

Ruka chuckled, "Yeah totally dude."

Both of them were really glad that things were better now. It wasn't exactly resolved but at least the heavy load on their shoulders were removed.

"So no more avoiding?" Natsume held his hand out for a fist bump, and Ruka replied him back.

"Yeah no more." Ruka turned, cyan eyes looked directly into crimson ones. "Natsume, I decided to back away."

The raven-haired remained silent, because he didn't know what to say. But Ruka continued.

"However... If you ever hurt her physically or mentally," he gave Natsume his strictest look, "I'm stealing her away. Whether you like it or not."

Natsume lifted the side of his lip, "Yeah...Thanks Ruka."

"Well, they say horses are good friends."

* * *

A few weeks passed after the incident between Natsume and Ruka, and everyone was glad that they had really made up made up with no grudges or hate. Everyone was tense during that period, wondering what they should do. It was a relief that nobody had to interfere. With the exception of two girls.

Anyway, enough with the gloomy stuff. It was finally the school break and they could finally get out of school and venture into real full-human territory. Sure it was dangerous but at school, once alices turned sixteen, they would have been considered old enough to be able to protect themselves. That includes masking their own scents and blending in with the full-humans. For Mikan, it was okay because she was already a 'full-human'. And besides, she has a handsome overprotective hunk by her side to take care of her.

They weaved their way through the crowd in Shibuya, specifically Koen Dori (Park Street). The people were like schools of fish on the streets, and it seemed never-ending. The chattering was simply raucous! And that wasn't the only thing that overwhelmed their sensitive senses. There were big billboards featuring visual kei advertisements, and posters basically wrapping the buildings. It was a pity it wasn't night now or they would have been able to Japan's own city of lights.

The gang quickly entered a mall to escape from the mixture of noises that was making their ultra-sensitive ears bleed. They were visiting a few stores when Mikan suddenly stopped at a window glass.

"Beautiful..." She drooled at the necklace of her dreams. There were two yellow gold hearts interlocked with each other, and a red-orange diamond that sparkled brightly like a star. When she passed by the window glass, it was like the necklace called out to her, drawing her in without letting her resist at all. The beauty of the necklace was heart-stopping, but so was the price. The necklace screamed 'buy me!' but when she saw the price tag, her eyes came out of their sockets. She swallowed her saliva, and shook her head.

Who am I kidding? That necklace is a whopping five digits!

She sighed deeply, and reluctantly walked away, her eyes unable to tear away from the necklace. Natsume and Mikan re-joined the gang who were far in front waiting for them.

* * *

After leaving the mall, they headed for Yoyogi Park which was just nearby.

"Wow! This park is huuuuuuge!" Mikan said, while tugging on Hotaru. Yoyogi Park was one of Tokyo's largest city parks and it was amazing in all ways. There were wide lawns, ponds everywhere and even forested areas. The sakura trees were in full bloom, covering their entire view with baby pink goodness that could even melt the toughest man's heart. The beauty of the park seemed so surreal, and this was indeed what they called nature at its peak. They barely even stopped their alices from coming out to roll around in the soft grass! It would be mayhem if they did.

"Let's go find a nice quiet spot, away from the noisy people." Hotaru suggested, and they did so. When they finally found a perfect shady spot, they took out their bentos and started digging in, taking in the view while they ate.

"Oops! Looks like we're out of drinks!" Mikan said cheerfully, "I'll go get some!"

"I'll go with you. You need help carrying the drinks." Natsume said. Honestly, he was uneasy at the thought of leaving her alone. Who knows if some bugger might just decide to hit on her?

"It's okay! I can totally handle it!" she insisted, blowing him off.

Mikan was skipping along the path while humming her favourite tune, when her shoulders bumped into someone.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry!" She bent her back repeatedly, and apologised profusely with her eyes shut.

The person she bumped into chuckled with a bass voice, sending shivers down her spine. It was as if she had heard that voice before. "It's okay really." Where did she hear it? Her entire body trembled, and she was so afraid to look up. Something was screaming for her to run away, but her legs stood rooted to the ground, just like in her nightmares.

She forced herself to straighten her spine, which she did so with great difficulty.

"Why are your eyes closed?"

"I..." she said, her voice quavering. Should she open her eyes? It would seem weird if she just walked away with her eyes closed. The thing was, she couldn't even move her legs! Talk about walking away. _Move damn legs!_ She begged her legs to move, but they were dead stubborn.

"Are your eyes okay?" he continued questioning her with his slithery-like voice.

She forced herself to open her eyes, feeling like she just entered a death-trap. When she saw his face, it was something inside her just broke.

Reddish-brown hair that shadowed his dark purple orbs. A sharp nose that made people envious. Thin lips that smirked dangerously at her. Her memories was like a film rolling in her head, showing her the missing pictures of her past. Everything made sense now, the nightmares and the flashbacks. The puzzle was finally solved.

"Hiya Mikan, I wonder where you have been?" He looked at her with a dangerous glint in his eyes, and his voice was not pleasant at all.

"R...eo...oniisan-" her lips trembled as she struggled to make out the words. He moved closer to her, and extended his hand.

_Run Mikan! Run!_ Her mother reminded her repeatedly, but this time, there was no getting away.

She let out a bloodcurdling scream that could be heard even miles away. _Natsume...help me please!_

Reo flustered after hearing her scream, and he locked her neck with one arm and covered her mouth with the other hand.

"Shhh! Good girls be quiet Mikan."

"Mmmph-!" She could feel his large hand tightening over her mouth, not giving her room breathe at all. She clawed at his arm, desperate for oxygen in her system. But her efforts were feeble against the hulk.

"I've been looking for you so long you little bitch," he whispered in her ear, and she could feel his wet breath on her ear. "You're not running away this time!"

I...can't breathe..!

Black spots started appearing in her eyes, and her mind was blurring out.

_YOU BITCH! YOU F**KING BETRAYED ME! DIE!_

_No! Listen to me Reo-!_

_..._

_Run Mikan... He's here! _

_..._

_Blood on my hands... everywhere..!_

_..._

_I love...you…_

Different voices flooded her mind all at once, and she didn't know what was going on anymore. Her eyes were closing slowly like a curtain fall after a theatre show when another figure entered her limited view.

"Bastard! Let go of her!" he growled, lunging forward at Reo.

Natsume unleashed his claws, and swung his right hand at Reo. Reo let go of Mikan, who dropped on the ground, and moved backwards. It was a close call! Natsume nearly got his throat if Reo was one step slower. Reo grabbed the hand that swung at him and pulled him in for a hard punch. But Natsume saw that coming and swooped down, giving him a left uppercut to his chin.

Reo stumbled backwards, and held his chin. His face twitched for a split second but then reverted to normal as if nothing ever happened.

"Looks like your knight in shining armour came huh?" he mocked, giving them a wry smile.

"Dammit I'll kill you!" He was about to go in for another move but Mikan grabbed him from behind.

"...No Natsume!"

"Mikan! Let go!"

"Please...I don't want you to get..." Mikan slumped down, scaring him out of his wits. She went completely limp on him, appearing to have lost consciousness.

"Mikan! Hey!" He tapped her cheeks frantically, but it looked like she was out cold.

"I'll see you next time...Mikan."

When Natsume looked up, Reo vanished from his eyes. He didn't know what trick he pulled, but that was not something an average human could pull off. He remembered that face and smell. No mistaking it, it was the leader. This means that the AAO was already chasing after Mikan, and for the leader to personally handle it, he knew there was something deeper about this. And the answer lies with Mikan.

When he heard her scream, his heart pounded quickly, the fear in him spreading like wildfire. His first instinct was to get to her as fast as he could, and protect his mate with his life. When he saw her face contorting with pain, he wanted to send the bastard into the depths of hell, bring him back out, and throw him back in just to let him experience hell one more time.

He looked down at Mikan's unconscious face, which was twisted with pain. _Shit!_ He berated himself, and lifted her up gently. _I'm sorry Mikan..._


	14. Chapter 14 - I Want You

**Authoress's Note:  
**

**Hahaha this is the reason why I need to change to rated M :3 If you can't take lemon, I'm sorry! :x Whew I am feeling hot after writing this! **

**Reviews are appreciated :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

_Beep... Beep…_

Every beep on the monitor was like a reminder to him to never leave her side again. He clutched her hand that was in his, and brought it to his lips. They had rushed back from Yoyogi Park earlier, calling an express car that the Gakuen Alice had sent. Everyone crowded around her in concern, and bombarded him with questions. But he merely remained silent, focusing all his attention on Mikan. Nothing was going into his ears that moment and when they finally arrived at the academy, he stormed into the infirmary, and grabbed Subaru by the collar, demanding for him to treat her.

The tiger tried to calm him down but he knew that wouldn't work. The only way to Natsume was through Mikan, so he immediately gave her his best treatment, under the watchful eyes of Natsume. If that man wasn't a Panther, he might as well have been a hawk.

"Natsume... It's late, you should return to your room." Ruka rested his hand on his friend's shoulders, giving him a concerned face.

"No. I'm staying here."

"You can come back tomorrow."

Natsume merely ignored him, not even bothering to look at him now.

"Forget it Ruka. He's not going to listen the way he is now." Hotaru shook her head at Ruka, who sighed and headed back to the dorms with the rest of the gang.

It had been a blast today but the thing with Mikan drained everybody. Everyone had the same question running through their minds. What the hell happened?

"Poor Mikan! Why did such a thing happen to her?" Nonoka frowned, her face marred with concern.

"Yeah...her scream was terrifying..." Koko recalled every detail of her scream, and it was one that was worse than those in horror movies.

"I bet Natsume must be feeling really bad..."

"Yeah, I wish we could help them somehow."

Ruka didn't comment or anything, absorbed in his own thoughts. He moved his hand over his chest, and clutched it. Natsume's not the only one feeling bad... He closed his eyes, _Mikan...I wish I could do something for you..!_

The brunette mumbled something in her sleep. She tossed and turned, and sweat trickled down her forehead.

"No...Urgh..."

Natsume twitched at the sound of her voice, and immediately tended to her.

"Mikan?"

"Save me..."

"It's okay Mikan. You're safe now!" He tried to get her to wake up, but she was trapped in her nightmare. His heart wrenched in pain when he saw her like that. Couldn't he just enter her head and save her from her nightmare somehow?

"No...NO!" She shot up straight in bed, covered in sweat and panting quickly and heavily. She looked around her, trying to get a sense of where she was. The fear was still apparent in her eyes, like someone was out to murder her.

Natsume hugged her, trying to calm her down. "Shh... You're safe now. You're with me."

"N..Natsume?" Feeling the warmth and strength from her lover, her breathing slowed, and she got a better hold of herself.

"Yeah."

"Ugh... where am I?"

"Infirmary. You knocked out remember?"

Her head throbbed, "I'm... pretty sure I don't want to remember..." She really didn't, but the image was still fresh in her mind. Reo's face, his voice, and his touch. She didn't use to be so scared of him until that day. The day where everything went wrong.

She shivered, feeling the chill just from remembering.

"You cold?" Natsume's brow were knitted together, and she could see the bags under his eyes. Had he been awake the whole time she was out? He took off his coat and put it over her shoulders.

"Thanks..." She smiled weakly, placing her hands in Natsume's own.

"I'm sorry..."

"For what?" she asked, confused.

"I promised to protect you."

_Natsume... _"And you did!"

He shook his head, which hung low. She didn't know how to reassure him, so she leaned forward to give him a peck on his cheek. He looked up at her, with his hand at his cheek.

"Look Natsume," she gave him her brightest smile, "I'm fine now aren't I? And it's all because you came for me!"

"..."

"I could have been kidnapped by Reo-oniisan-" his name just slipped off her tongue as if she was so used to saying his name that way. It was completely out of habit. She left her sentence hanging after mentioning his name, and bit her lip. Reo-oniisan... the man she once knew was gone. Gone was the kind and caring older brother, and now he was taken over by hatred and grief. Seeing his face was the trigger to her lost memories. She remembered every single detail now. Her once happy life with her family and friends. The days where she used to frolic around with the person who was once her brother.

She was no longer 'empty' anymore, and she wasn't as happy as she had thought she would be. Mikan felt the burden her memories placed on her. She had caused Reo to become who he was now, and no doubt he would come after her just like he did today. He would go to any lengths to do so, and she feared for her safety of her friends.

She looked at Natsume intensely, debating on whether she should spill everything.

_Should I tell him? But if I do, he'll definitely try to ward Reo off. What if he gets hurt?_ The last thing she wanted to see was him getting hurt.

"Mikan?"

_No...I should keep mum first._

"Uhh... Nothing."

Natsume didn't seem like he believed it was 'nothing', and his face showed that he would get to the bottom of it. However, he didn't push her for answers and dug in his pocket, pulling out a square box that was maroon in colour.

"What is this?" she asked when he presented her with the box.

He slowly opened the box, and her eyes widened when she saw the contents.

"Oh my god... Is this for me?"

The sparkle of the gem couldn't fool her. It was the exact same necklace she had been so reluctant to leave earlier on! Did Natsume buy that super-duper expensive necklace just for her? How did he even get the cash?! She simply just couldn't believe her eyes. Was this a dream? Somebody pinch her please!

"No silly, it's for me." He said sarcastically.

"But...but it's so expensive! How- I mean why-"

"Are you going to accept it or what?"

"I...Yes yes I'll accept it!" she was definitely hyperventilating now. Natsume had really done it this time. She didn't see this coming at all! Not in her entire life! She felt like a princess in those fairy tales she loved so much, and her prince was now presenting her his token of love. Oh what was she fantasising about? _Get a grip on yourself Mikan!_

Natsume removed the necklace from the box, and helped her put it on. He wrapped his arms around her neck, his face so dangerously close to her ear. She could feel his breath, the sound of his tongue licking his own lips as he struggled with the clasp. She could feel her mind exploding at the closeness, and her body temperature was going through the roof.

To make things worse, he spoke with his mouth near her ear.

"This necklace has a meaning." His sexy voice invaded her thoughts, marking its territory in her head.

"...Meaning?" she tried to hold a decent conversation, but her voice betrayed her.

"The diamond represents love, and the two hearts interlocking around the diamond symbolises, 'You will always be surrounded by the strength of my love' " He finished clasping the necklace, and stared into her eyes, taking her breath away.

"Natsume...Thank you..." a tear escaped her eyes, she was truly touched by the expression of love he showed her. Having Natsume by her side was a blessing, and she couldn't ask for more. He was all she wanted and nothing would ever change that. She loved him now, and will continue loving him. That, she was a hundred and ten percent sure. She knew she would never ever experience this heart stopping feeling with any other guy. It was funny how he could be such a pervert and grumpy person, yet a romantic at the same time. Oh she just loved all sides of him!

They looked into the depths of each other's eyes lovingly, and then naturally tilted their heads, moving in closer for a kiss. Their lips moved together in unison and they poured all their love they had for each other into it. Natsume's hand moved up to hold her neck, and started to get more passionate in his kiss. His tongue entered her mouth, twirling around with her own. She moaned in his mouth, arousing him even more. His other hand was free and found other jobs like caressing her silky skin under those unnecessary clothes.

He slid his hand up her belly, causing her to tremble. The naughty hand then made its way to cup her lovely breasts, and started playing around with it. He was starting to get more into it, but he broke away from their kiss.

She panted, and looked at him with a drunk gaze.

"I want to make love to you." He said it straight to her face, without even shying away. She shivered when she saw the intensity blazing like a fire in his crimson eyes. _It's like it will swallow me whole._

"...Then do it." Mikan was completely ready this time. She was willing to give him all of her, be it her heart, mind or body. She wanted him to know that she was his, and she wanted to claim him as hers too. But she was too shy to ever say that straight to his face.

"I don't want you to regret it." he frowned, afraid that she would really regret it.

She placed her hands on his shoulders, and pressed her body against him, teasing him.

"I won't. I want you too."

His eyes lit up, and she definitely got a glimpse of his cat nature for a moment. He pushed her down onto the bed, and towered over her. Bringing his hand to her cheek, he stroked it tenderly and then went in for a kiss. Their fingers interlocked with each other as their lips moved in time with each other. He released her mouth for oxygen, and then started a new route with his lips.

Forehead. Nose. Lips. Neck.

And then he stopped there for a while, sucking on the nape of her neck. She let out a moan and wanted to cover her mouth, but her hands were firmly locked in his. He seemed to know this and looked smug about it. He finally released one hand, and unbuttoned her shirt. As he undid each button, her toes twitched in anticipation. Once he was done, he took in her left breast with his skillful mouth, causing her to arch her back in surprise.

_Natsume..!_

He was driving her crazy with all the teasing!

He finally released her other hand, and fondled with her other breast with his right hand.

"N-Natsume! I-" And she let out another moan when he swirled his tongue. She panted and writhed under him. Feelings so intense slamming through her, she lifted her hands and gripped him tight, encircling his back. She wouldn't run away now. It was too late for that. They were both too much into it to stop at this point. He started to move downwards, kissing her belly with such gentle passion, it made her smile. Natsume pulled her pants off, and them off came his shirt, then his pants.

Oh my god. She drooled at the sight of his gorgeous self, illuminated by the moonlight entering through the window beside the bed. Mikan took in the sight of his muscles contracting and relaxing as he panted, making her feel like panting as well. He was so sculpted, and she couldn't resist feeling his body. Her hand roamed aimlessly on his body, like a lost person trying to find her way without a GPS. He let out a short breath when she touched him, but he welcomed it. He enjoyed being touched by her soft hands.

When he thought she was done exploring -she wasn't-, he grabbed her hands and kissed it.

He slid his hand down her belly, and then paused abruptly.

"...Natsume?"

"It...will hurt."

Mikan felt a twinge in her heart when she saw his expression. The man didn't want to hurt her, and she felt happy when she knew that. She wrapped her legs around his waist, locking her ankles at the base of her spine.

"It's okay." Her eyes spoke more than her mouth, and Natsume understood her.

"Hold on to me."

He rubbed her clit with his thumb, gently but strongly. He did it again and again until she exploded, her body quaking in climax. Natsume lifted her leg, and hit home. When he plunged in, she screamed in pain, and dug her nails in his back. His face winced in pain too, but he didn't mind. He didn't move for a while, at least not until he felt she was okay.

The piercing pain soon turned into sweet pleasure, and she began to relax her muscles. Natsume stroked her sweat-drenched hair, and rested his weight on her.

"Am I too heavy for you?"

"Nope."

"You okay?" he asked again.

"Yup! I'm fine." Well she sounded perky. Natsume began to move again, but this time they moved together in rhythm. He nuzzled in her neck, and licked it like he was tasting her.

"...mark you." he practically growled that sentence, as he felt his inner beast demanding for him to mark her.

She was too dazed to reply so she merely nodded. Natsume brandished his fangs, and brought it to the spot where he licked. With an inhale, he dug his fangs into her shoulders to make her his. The pain was excruciating, but the pleasure overshadowed it. Mikan was happy. Truly happy. After he retracted his fangs, he licked the wound to stop it from bleeding. His saliva had healing properties after all.

The two continued into the night until they were exhausted. Natsume shifted into his Panther alice and collapsed onto her, and fell asleep like a baby beside her.

She chuckled at the sight of his cute sleeping face, but soon her eyelids began to close as well.


	15. Chapter 15 - Rumours

**Authoress's Note:**

**Sorry for the wait! Chapter 15 is here :) Now you guys know how her wolf form looks like ! Enjoy reading! ;)**

**Do review :)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

_Weird... Something is weird._ Natsume's eyes were shut at this moment, and he was too tired to open them. He shifted back into his human form and then moved his hand to embrace his mate beside him, but somehow it felt weird. She felt... smaller. And somehow hairy... He tried to feel her again, thinking that it was just his imagination. But it was the same feeling. He sniffed at her, it is her scent for sure. But it's kinda...wolfy. Wolf? He snapped his eyes open, only to see a wolf in front of his face. The wolf was tannish grey in colour, but a little closer to chestnut brown. Roughly 32 inches, it had a slender built, long and robust limbs with comparatively smaller paws. Compared to other wolves he had seen, this wolf was definitely smaller, but it compensated size with speed. With all the experience he'd got, he just knew it at one glance.

He had never seen this species of wolf before. This wolf was Mikan no doubt. _So this is how a hokkaido wolf looks like huh?_ Although wolf wasn't exactly his favourite, he smiled at how cute she was. This wolf belonged to him. His heart swelled up in pride knowing that.

He petted her fur, and observed the way her ribs moved up and down as she breathed. He stroked her fur at one spot and her ears twitched subconsciously when he did that. _Hmmm... so she likes that._ He chuckled at the new discovery, and continued stroking her.

Moments later, Mikan woke up groggily, not knowing the situation.

"Morning." Natsume said with a hint of amusement, wondering if she had noticed yet.

She tried to reply, but a growl came out instead. To help her understand better, he got a mirror and put it in front of a face. When she saw herself, she yelped and jumped out of bed. She tried to look at herself and turned her body, but found herself chasing her tail instead.

"Do you know how to shift back?"

She squinted her hazel orbs at him, as if she were trying to remember a formula. Her eyes lit up in enlightenment, and her body slowly took the shape of a human. Without any clothes on.

"Hmm... Nice view you're giving me."

She tilted her head in puzzlement, and then realised what 'view' he was talking about.

"Pervert!" she dove into the bed, and wrapped herself like an eskimo with the blanket.

"Now what are you talking about? You're the one who showed me." he countered, "Besides...I've seen everything already."

Her face sort of 'poofed' at that moment and became entirely red. She covered her already covered body in defence like an innocent girl, making Natsume laugh.

All jokes aside, she looked at him seriously. She was busted now. "Aren't you shocked?"

"About what?" he asked seriously as well.

"That I'm an alice?"

He rubbed his chin, trying to find a way to phrase his words. "Let's just say I knew beforehand."

But how? "Really..?"

A strange silence passed. Both of them were dying to ask each other questions, but they didn't know how to bring it up.

"So, I'm guessing you remembered everything now?" Natsume questioned with caution, knowing that it was an awkward topic.

Mikan gulped when he asked her that question. She had to keep it a secret. _Lie Mikan. Lie._

"Uh... only the part where I'm a wolf!" _I hope it works!_

"I see."

_Whew. Seems like it worked. I guess._

"Yeah um... shouldn't we get going soon?" she tried getting out of this awkward topic, "I bet the others are worried."

"Hn." He put on his clothes, but she hadn't yet. "Are you planning to go out like that?" he scowled at her, not exactly welcoming of that thought.

"No idiot! I can't change now!"

"Why not?" He didn't see why she couldn't.

"...it's embarrassing." she mumbled under her breath, but his ears picked it up.

"After everything that's happened yesterday, you still feel embarrassed?" he leaned in close, his face just right in front of hers. She blushed all the way to her ears, and couldn't stare straight into his eyes.

"Stop teasing me!" she pouted, doing her signature lip thingy.

Oh damn, that did it. He pecked her on the mouth swiftly and pulled back before he couldn't control himself. "Fine, I'll wait outside."

* * *

"Ah! There they are!" Anna waved enthusiastically at Natsume and Mikan from their table.

They pulled their chairs and join them.

"Mikan-chan, are you feeling alright now?" Iinchou asked, concerned about his best friend Mikan.

"Yeah, you scared us when you passed out like that!" Anna put her hand to her chest and slumped her shoulders in relief.

"I'm fine now! Don't worry!" Mikan did a peace sign to show how energetic she was.

"What happened anyway? We saw Natsume fighting some redhead, it was so scary!"

"I...uhh..." _Come on, think of an excuse!_ Mikan searched her mind for reasonable excuses, but nothing just seemed to pop up. Anna stared at her with curiosity, waiting eagerly for the answer.

"It was just a misunderstanding I had with that stranger." Natsume cut in, trying to rescue the damsel in distress.

Mikan looked at Natsume with thankful eyes, and he nodded back.

"Misunderstanding?"

"Yeah, nothing much."

"Then why did Mikan-chan pass out?"

". . . The sun was too hot."

Before Anna could question anymore, Mikan attempted to change the topic by asking what the menu was for the day. Luckily for her, Anna was easily swept away by the conversation. The gang placed their order, and collected their food.

Mikan drooled at the sight of the magnificent steak before her eyes. Her steak was sizzling and waiting for her to devour it up.

"Itadakimasu~" she said with hype, happy that she could finally get some food in her system. Apparently, she'd been sleeping for 2 days straight and to think that Natsume was by her side the whole time! She smiled to herself, and felt her face heating up.

As she chewed on the steak, she swung her leg back and forth, "Delicious!" and then she took another large bite.

Suddenly, Ruka looked at her weirdly.

"Ruka-pyon? What's wrong?"

"Er... I thought I saw something," he scratched his head, "but it must have been my imagination."

"What did you see?" Mikan asked, while taking another bite.

This time, Ruka's eyes widened, and he slowly brought his fingers to his teeth. "Sakura...you have fangs."

"Eh?"

Everyone stopped eating and focused intently on her mouth, making her feel embarrassed. She brought her tongue to her teeth, and indeed felt two sharp sensations on her tongue.

"Actually... I just found out but, I'm an alice too!" she laughed shyly because it was so awkward to suddenly announce that all this while, she was not a full-human but in fact an alice.

There was a silent and awkward pause as if they were trying to process that information.

"Whaaaat?" Anna burst out, saying it a little too loudly. Now their table became the centre of attraction. She noticed that too and apologised to the other students, but quickly got back to the topic.

"Are you serious Mikan-chan?" Iinchou asked, looking calmer then Anna and Nonoka. Rabbits were easily surprised after all.

"Yup! I'll show you!" Mikan 'willed' her ears and tail to pop out so she could show evidence to the gang.

"Woah! You're a wolf alice? That's awesome!"

The 'rabbits' kind of backed away for a while, but it was due to natural instinct.

"Uh huh!"

"But I've never seen your species before! What exactly are you?"

"Me? I'm a Hokkaido wolf!"

""Hokkaido wolf? But aren't they-"

"Oi, don't just show your ears and tail like that.", "Baka, don't be a show-off." Natsume and Hotaru said at the same time.

Both of them noticed that they were getting unwanted attention that was growing by the second. Hotaru thought that Mikan should be more aware of her surroundings. She had a feeling that something bad would happen but she just couldn't put her finger on it.

In Natsume's case, he didn't like Mikan showing her form. He wanted to be the only one to know, but it looks like his hope was dashed. He glanced around the cafeteria. _Great. More rivals._ Mikan's scent grew stronger as she shifted, alerting the other male alices around her that there was another female for them to choose from. Although he had already marked her, he knew that some idiots would still try to have a go at his woman.

"Eh why?" Mikan looked at him obliviously.

"...Just don't."

Mikan shrugged her shoulders and 'removed' her ears and tail. They continued talking but Koko suddenly spaced out halfway, like he was focusing on something else.

"Moshi moshi~ Koko?" Anna waved her hand in front of Koko's face, trying to get his attention.

"Hey guys, listen to the table in the 2'o clock direction."

Feeling curious, they all tuned in to the mentioned table.

"... Man that's scary." A guy with spectacles said, his eyebrows were knitted together.

"Yeah who knows who they'll come after next? It might be us!" the guy beside him said.

"What are they talking about?" Mikan asked, but all she got back was 'shh'.

"No way, we have the dangerous ability class to protect us! We'll be fine for sure!"

Natsume's ears twitched when he heard 'dangerous ability class'. What exactly were they talking about?

"But it's AAO dude! They're strong! Haven't you heard? They say that AAO's been wiping out a lot of alices lately!"

"Yeah I've heard... I'm seriously getting the chills..."

And then both of them got up from their seats and exited the cafeteria.

Natsume clenched his fist, _So they've already made their move huh?_ Actually, he had already noticed that AAO was getting more infamous. In the past, AAO was low-key and more discreet. However, as time passed, AAO's name was getting more renowned in the outside world. But now, it seems that their name had already spread within the school.

"AAO? I wonder what that is?" Koko questioned.

"Anti-alice Organisation," Hotaru clarified, "they are a group rumored to hunt alices."

"Ehh! I thought that war stuff was over!"

"The hatred is deep-rooted... It's like how some people still hate full-humans."

"So does that mean we're in trouble?"

Anna and Nonoka looked at one another with terrified expressions.

"Maybe, maybe not. It's just rumours after all." Hotaru said, being as cool as a cucumber.

Ruka peered at Natsume worriedly, as if he was asking if AAO were really after them now. After all, he knew that Natsume was a member of AAO. Natsume remained nonchalant, and shrugged his shoulders. He honestly didn't know. AAO haven't been calling him for missions lately, so he couldn't really update himself on any of their plans. But one thing he knew for sure was that the leader was after Mikan, and he would protect her at all costs.


	16. Chapter 16 - Mission

**Authoress's Note:**

**Hello my dear readers! Yes I finally found time to upload chapter 16 whippee! Sorry this chapter doesn't have much MxN scenes :P but don't worry there's more to come~**

**So keep calm, relax, lie back on your chair and start reading ^^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

"What's my job this time?" Natsume stuffed his hands in his front pockets, and rested his weight on his right leg. He didn't bother to give his respects to the snake in front of him, who hissed at that very fact.

Persona knew that Natsume was like that so he didn't say much. "I assume you've heard the rumours?" His gaze was cold like metal, and steely as usual.

". . . About AAO? Is it true?"

"Well...The rumours are not exactly false. The AAO have been getting pretty active recently." Persona looked down at his black gothic nails, and blew some dirt off them. "Three of our students are missing." He looked completely unfazed by this news, like it was of no concern to him.

"AAO's work?" Natsume questioned, but he already suspected as much. It seemed like only AAO would do something like this.

Persona didn't bother to answer his question, "Your mission is to bring them back," he turned his back, "and to find out their plans."

He took a few steps forward, and repeated that mantra of his. "Remember...failure is not an option." Natsume was sick and tired of hearing that. He grunted, and watched as Persona disappeared into the darkness.

Natsume sighed and ran his hand through his slick raven hair. _It's going to be a long mission... _He fished out his handphone from his pocket, and typed with his large hand.

_Tuesday, 10:05 PM_

_Send to: Polka_

_Off for mission. Take care of yourself. I miss you already._

_Sent._

He locked his screen, and made his way to the gate. When he reached there, his assigned team for the mission was already waiting. He was the last one, again.

His team consisted of three members including himself. They were Ibaragi Nobara, the ice princess famous for her cold and twisted personality. Natsume didn't want to admit it but he had a hard time dealing with this woman. If she were ice, he would be fire. The two just never clicked. Nobara had icy-blue, wavy hair that flowed down to her shoulders, pale skin and a pair of blue eyes. That was one of the reasons why she was dubbed 'Ice princess', or sometimes even 'Yuki Onna'.

His other teammate was even more difficult. He was the type he was never good with. He had navy blue hair and orbs, and a star shaped mark on his right cheek. Tsubasa Ando loved to wear hats-especially beanies-and Natsume could never understand why. Despite his cheerful appearance, he was part of dangerous ability class for a reason. Tsubasa Ando would win the award for the sharpest claws ever, and he was famed for being 'The Wolverine'. Literally.

"Hey man, you're late!" Tsubasa hung his arm over Natsume's shoulders, and acted all buddy-buddy with him. Natsume twitched, not liking the closeness one bit.

He narrowed his eyes at Tsubasa, sending him a warning. The overly familiar guy withdrew his hand, slowly and cautiously.

"Chillax dude! Don't be too uptight!" he said, and backed away with his hands up while laughing awkwardly.

Tsubasa pouted, making him look 5 years younger. "Let's leave this sulky cat alone shall we Nobara-chaaaan?" Tsubasa changed targets and hung his arm over Nobara's shoulders instead.

Seriously, did that guy have a problem with his arm or something?

"H-hai!" The 'shy' girl flushed pink, unused to his friendliness. Tsubasa ended up dragging Nobara to the black car that was waiting in front of the gate for them. Natsume clicked his tongue and followed behind. The weasel always got on his nerves.

"Okay so... three missing students, last seen at XXX. Apparently the signal from their IDs got cut off from there." Tsubasa scanned through the mission details in his smartphone, and explained the mission to them.

Tsubasa, being the older and more experienced member, was the unofficial leader of the team. As much as Natsume hated to admit it, he did respect the weasel for his skills. He was quick and stealthy like a ninja-maybe even better than one-and his sharp claws could literally slice through anything. He was the very definition of: Looks may be deceiving.

"I guess we have to start tracking them from there. That's your job Natsume."

"Hn." Tracking was indeed his forte, aside from killing.

When they reached their destination, they indeed found three alice student IDs carelessly tossed on the cold, hard ground. Natsume surveyed his surroundings as he turned 360 degrees. It was desolated and devoid of human life. To his left and right, there were willows that looked like they were drained of life. The elongated leaves draped gloomily towards the ground, lacking its 'spine'. The barks appeared aged and cracked, making it seem like there were faces on the trees.

Nobara shuddered and hugged herself to protect herself from the 'chills'.

"What's wrong Nobara-chan?" Tsubasa asked, "Feeling cold?"

"No. . . This place just . . . gives me the creeps." She muttered in a soft voice that strained the eardrums.

Tsubasa smacked his forehead with his palm. "Right, you're a polar bear. I keep forgetting! Sorry, the bears I've met so far were just plain mean." He cast a glance at her. "You're kinda . . . meek."

Nobara turned her head away from him, and brought her gaze down to the floor. She murmured something but this time, it wasn't audible at all.

"So how's it going over there buddy?"

Natsume snarled, shooting daggers at him with his eyes. "The three students were kidnapped from somewhere else, and then the kidnappers stopped halfway to chuck away the IDs." There was absolutely no way the students would wander around such a desolated place. He analysed the IDs and checked their profiles. Why would they want to kidnap these students? They were regular alice students. Nothing special about them.

"Either they didn't know about the tracking properties of the ID or . . ." He flipped the ID shut, "It was on purpose."

Tsubasa raised a brow, "On purpose?"

"Just speculation." Natsume didn't have enough evidence to prove his point. It was just intuition. He placed his speculation aside, and focused at the matter at hand.

He crouched down on the road, and examined the ground. On the grey hard ground, there were dark lines with zigzag patterns.

"Tyre marks." He stood up, "probably belongs to the kidnappers."

"How do you know? For all you know, it could belong to any car."

Natsume pointed to the sign at the side of the road.

_'Restricted Zone'_

The weasel went 'Ooooh' and nodded his head in understanding.

Natsume shot a critical look to the tyre marks. The tyre marks were still fresh, making their jobs easier. From there, they went on foot because the car would easily attract attention in the eerily silent place they were in. There was only a single stretch of road sandwiched between two endless rows of willow trees.

The deeper they went, the darker it got. Broken warning signs laid on the ground, waiting to be repaired. But it looked like they had been waiting for an eternity.

There was literally not a single lifeform around them besides themselves, not even the annoying crows that always cawed at times like this to give one an additional cause for a heart attack. But this wasn't enough to scare the three of them. Well, maybe excluding Nobara.

The raven-haired lifted his head up and took in the air. He could faintly smell the three alices amongst the smell of full-humans. It was pretty easy actually because it was like finding three black spots on a piece of white paper. Alices just have that distinct smell among the mundane smell of full-humans.

Tsubasa and Nobara tagged after Natsume, who had the keenest nose, and eventually ended up at a dock where warehouses were. _Isn't this dock... _Damn. He should have realised sooner. This was the very dock where he used to meet the leader of AAO. It was just that he usually took a different path, so it didn't occur to him. That confirms it. AAO WAS behind this. Nobody else would use this dock other than them.

At the entrance, they already found two guards armed with their rifles. And that wasn't all. There was human scent that diffused all over the dock like perfume would, except that it was a duller scent.

The three of them hid within the shadows of the trees, blended in with the darkness, and sneaked in from the back. It was better to avoid unnecessary trouble after all.

Tsubasa used his razor sharp claws to cut the titanium lock on the door, and entered the only warehouse with lights on. One of the guards spotted them, but before he could make a sound, the Black Panther got beside him and silenced him. That guard would be out for a while now.

They used the huge containers to their advantage, and inched closer. The three students were sitting on the dusty floor, with their hands bound and mouths gagged. One of the students looked pretty intoxicated. _They must have injected something into their systems._

In front of the students, a redhead leaned back on a sofa, with his legs up on a wooden table. Natsume narrowed his crimson orbs. He would never mistake that nefarious man after working under him for three years. He clenched his fist and growled lowly. Tsubasa and Nobara flinched at the sudden growl.

"Dude . . . calm down!" Tsubasa whispered. "5, 10, 15. Piece of cake." He said smugly, rubbing his nose with his thumb, copying Bruce Lee's move.

Nobara looked at him worriedly, but she wasn't in dangerous ability class for nothing. The ice princess inhaled in and exhaled out deeply, and something in her snapped.

Welcome to her other self.

She was no longer the meek Nobara. She, was the _Nobara_ everyone feared.

She brandished her thick claws and charged out. The slaughtering began. Her strength was no joke, just like the hulk.

"Ahh! That girl!" Tsubasa reached out to grab her but it was too late. "Seriously, when she changes, she just doesn't care does she?" He sighed and willed his claws out as well, but his main priority was the students. He cut their ropes and ungagged them, and instructed them to stay near him. Which they did without hesitation. They clung onto him for dear life.

Meanwhile, while Nobara was grabbing the collar of some guy and punching his guts out, the panther was already done on his side.

He stood in front of the leader, who he already identified as Reo. Reo seemed unfazed by the bloody mess, and smirked at him mockingly as if he still had the upper hand.

"Well well, look who took so long to come." Reo calmly said, with his arms over the sofa and legs crossed at the ankles.

Natsume kept his mouth closed, and merely stared at him. Reo chuckled, and picked up some papers in his hand.

"Pissy as always huh Natsume?" Reo stopped grinning and flung the papers in the air. "Or should I say. . . Black Cat?"

Natsume took a brief glance at the papers on the ground. He saw his face on one of them. _Exposed huh?_

"Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

Nobara, who was done with her side, and bubbly boy stared at him confusingly. What was going on?

"B-Black Cat? But isn't that. . ." Tsubasa gulped, swallowing the remaining words.

Reo scoffed. "Wow you kept it from your teammates too? Yes yes, the man you see in front of me worked under me as 'Black Cat'. He betrayed you guys."

"What? Don't bullshit with us!" Tsubasa blasted a roar. Even Nobara was so shocked that her normal self came back.

"Up to you to believe me, but he betrayed both you and me-" Reo leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands. He glared at Natsume coldly, and Natsume felt like ice was pricking his skin. "-and I HATE betrayers."

The warehouse was filled with such silence that if a clock was present, the ticking could be heard.

"So?" Natsume said, without a change in his stoic face.

"What?" Reo raised his brow, like he couldn't believe how calm Natsume was.

"I said, 'so?' Are you going to kill me?"

Reo laughed dryly. "Maybe? But not now. Those three students were just bait. I'm just showing you the prelude to what's going to come." Reo got up, and walked to the entrance. "Alice academy and every damned shifter will die under my hands." He said it with such malice in his words. His words were like a sharpened blade ready to kill someone.

He stopped at the entrance, and looked back at Natsume.

"Oh and one more thing. Tell Mikan this. 'Betrayers will be punished, just like how Yuka was.'" He exited and disappeared, leaving them confused.

Natsume twitched at the mention of Mikan's name. _What is Reo's relation to Mikan? And who is Yuka?_ He felt a chill running down his spine. He needed to go back to Mikan NOW.

* * *

The journey on the way back was suffocating. Tsubasa had so many questions he wanted to ask, so much that he didn't know where to start. Did Natsume betray them? But why would he do so? Reo didn't seem to be lying, and he produced evidence too. _Arghhh!_ Tsubasa's mind was a jumbled mess because of Natsume.

Tsubasa loved the Gakuen Alice which gave him a roof over his head, and most importantly, the family that wasn't bonded by blood. He wouldn't forgive anyone who tried to take that away from him. Not even the Natsume he was fond of and treated like he was his own younger brother. (Even though Natsume didn't seem to like Tsubasa's advances)

Tsubasa balled his hands into fists, ". . . Is it true?"

Natsume didn't bother to lie. He had no reason to. The cat was let out of the bag, and there was no undoing it. "I had my reasons."

"Why?" Natsume heard a croak in Tsubasa's voice, and the way he stared at him pierced his heart. Reo's words echoed through his head, _Betrayer..._ He wished the voice in his head would just shut up. He didn't need another person telling him what he already knew a long time ago. Still, it had hurt.

"For revenge." Natsume shut his eyes, remembering the screams in his head. "The AAO murdered my family." He then opened his eyes, which were blazing with such hatred, it looked like there was fire within his crimson orbs.

"I swore to destroy them, and the fastest way was from the inside."

"Natsume..." Those eyes, they aren't lying. He must have suffered a lot... Tsubasa stopped questioning him because he didn't want to bring up the old wounds.

Just then, Nobara spoke up. "What...will you do with the authorities?" The ice princess was concerned about Natsume in her own way too. She knew that the punishments given by authorities were no joke because she had first-hand experience.

But Natsume didn't care at all, "Persona probably knew a long time ago." What he cared about was only Mikan.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Just to clarify, as you all know, Nobara has a split personality. One side is her meek side while the other side is her dangerous side. In this case, she is able to control when she wants to change her personality!**

**To recap: **

**Tsubasa is a Wolverine, and Nobara is a Polar Bear.**

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! :)**


	17. Chapter 17 - Past Revealed

**Authoress's Note:**

**Hello readers :) The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived! Mikan's past is going to be revealed! *squeals* It took 17 chapters hahaha :3**

**I wonder if any of you had guessed her past correctly?**

**Enjoy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

_Tuesday night..._

_The phone on the desk vibrated, and a text popped up on the screen. Mikan reached her hand to grab the phone, and looked at the message._

_Sender: Natsume 3_

_Tuesday, 10:05PM_

_Off for mission._

_Take care of yourself._

_I miss you already._

Mikan felt a mini-squeeze in a heart as she read the message. _Seriously... He should be the one who should take care! I also miss you too..._ She sighed all her loneliness out, and flopped down on her bed. As she stared at the white ceiling, her thoughts revolved around Natsume.

_What mission is he on? I hope it's not the dangerous kinds... What if he gets hurt? O-or, what if he...doesn't come back?_ She slapped her face hard with both palms. _No no no no no. Touch wood! _She immediately sourced for the nearest wood, which was her study table, and tapped it furiously. _He's strong, so he'll be safe. Yup!_

"What's wrong this time?" Mikan felt Hotaru's weight on her bed. She was fairly light, considering what a gourmet she was.

"Hotaruuuuu~ Natsume's out for a mission." she frowned, "I'm worried..."

Hotaru pressed her forehead to get rid of the frown. "Baka, he'll be fine. He's incapable of leaving you alone."

Hotaru was so magical to her, just by a few words, she was able to make her feel better. "Un! Thanks Hotaru! You always make me feel better!" _Just like in the past._

Her friend stretched out her hand with her palm facing up. Mikan stared at her palm quizzically, and then at her face.

"Counselling fee." the blackmailing queen said, with a serious face.

Mikan was taken aback. "I knew there was a catch to it! Hotaru you meanie!" She stuck out her tongue at her. There was no way she was going to let her wallet go on any more diets!

Hotaru chuckled at how foolish her friend was, and Mikan followed suit as well. Soon the laughter died down, and Mikan placed her hand over Hotaru's.

"We never do change, do we?"

_Never change?_ Hotaru thought about that sentence deeply. _Why would she phrase it like that? Unless..._ she widened her eyes at her best friend. "You..."

The brunette smiled at her. "Yup, I remembered."

That sentence was like a gift from god to Hotaru. Many times she had wished that her best friend would remember, and now her wish had finally came true. Gone were the days when she tried to suppress herself from bringing up the past that only she knew back then. Although she didn't show it, she felt so helpless that she couldn't do anything to help Mikan get her memories back. Sometimes, she just wished she could invent some time machine so that they could travel back in time. But at the same time, she understood that the Mikan now only had the present and the future, and that dwelling on the past wouldn't help Mikan in her life. That was why she didn't try to get Mikan to remember anything. Just having Mikan by her side was good enough.

"Since when?"

"Ever since the incident at Yoyogi Park..." Hotaru noticed that Mikan shuddered suddenly, and there was fear mixed with hurt on her face.

"But why didn't you say anything?"

"I was scared... the man I bumped into at the park," Mikan tightened her hold on Hotaru's hand, "was someone I know."

"What?" _Was that why she screamed? Because she was afraid of him?_ "Does he have something to do with your memories?"

Mikan nodded.

As much as Hotaru wanted to question her, she noticed that the hand over hers was trembling. _Mikan..._ "Whenever you're ready, I'm here to listen alright?"

She looked at Hotaru apologetically, and nodded. She just wasn't ready yet.

The both of them headed to bed shortly, and Hotaru let Mikan sleep with her that night.

* * *

The next day was boring, even with her favourite history lesson with Narumi-sensei in her schedule. It was 4PM now. Thank god school was over! She was walking along the hallway when suddenly a hand clamped over her mouth. Her heart leaped up from the surprise and would have come out of her mouth if it wasn't for the hand covering it. Even her wolf ears and tail popped up because of the sudden haul. She felt strong arms pulling her back, and dragging her into an unused room nearby. As much as she squirmed and struggled, she couldn't break free from the titanium hold.

While she continued struggling and wriggling, the hands suddenly relaxed and dropped down to her waist, wrapping around it. Instantly, she knew this warmth. It was the touch she was most familiar with, and it could only belong to one guy.

"Natsume...?" Her ears and tail flopped down in relief, and disappeared.

"I missed you." His hot breath was on the back of her neck, and she could feel his body temperature against her body. He planted his soft lips on her neck and moved it slightly, making her giggle because he ventured into the ticklish zone.

She turned around and met his eyes. "I missed you too." Her hazel irises conveyed everything, and they just gazed deeply into each other's eyes silently for a few moments.

Mikan curved her lips upwards, "How was your mission? Were you hurt?" she questioned, feeling the extreme need to ensure he was okay.

Upon hearing that, Natsume slightly loosened his hold, and looked as if he was contemplating something.

"Mikan," His voice had a serious tone to it, causing the atmosphere to turn serious. "Do you know who Reo is?"

Mikan visibly stiffened, and Natsume caught that. He held her hand to assure her that he would be beside her no matter what.

"Y-yes." Her words were choked up, as if there was a stone in her throat.

"I met him when I was out on my mission."

She suddenly became frantic, and freaked out. "What? A-are you okay? Did he do anything to you?" Cold sweat ran down her forehead, and her breathing quickened. Natsume realised that every time Reo's name was mentioned, she would have these mini panic attacks. Her face would become pale as sheet, and her body would become cold. Did Reo do something to her?

His panther growled lowly within him, getting ready to kill the bastard if he had done anything to her. But first, he wanted to know what was going on. No, he needed to know. He wanted to put her out of her misery that was attacking her relentlessly.

"I'm fine," he assured her, "He told me to tell you something..."

"What is it Natsume?" Her brows were sewn together in an unpleasant way. Her voice screamed with anxiety, and even the strength of her grip on Natsume's hand multiplied.

"He said, 'Betrayers will be punished. Just like Yuka was.'" As he said it, he observed her carefully for her reaction. He hoped that it wouldn't be too much of a blow on her. But his hope was futile. He noticed her lips trembling in fear, and her hands dropped down to her sides. It was like her limbs lost its strength. Mikan slid down against the door until her butt reached her ground.

"Mikan!" Natsume panicked, and crouched to meet her level.

Mikan inhaled in and out to calm herself, and held her hand in front of Natsume's face to tell him she was fine.

_I think I should tell him what happened. It's too late to be hiding things now..._

"Reo...was my oniisan." Natsume's eyes widened, but he kept silent.

"Not by blood, but by bond." she clarified, "I met him months after Hotaru left. He was my mother's, also known as Yuka, best friend during high school. He helped me get over my loneliness after Hotaru left."

She gazed into the distance, and smiled at the fond memories. Reo, or rather Reo-oniisan, as she used to call him that, would come by her house every day and play with her. The beautiful man with purple eyes was kind and would always give her advices and help her out whenever she was in trouble. Eventually, as the time they spent together grew longer, their bond grew deeper as well. Soon, he became her precious brother.

"Reo-oniisan also taught me many shifter tricks, because he himself is a shifter."

Natsume tilted his head in confusion. In his memory, Reo was and always has been a full-human. Although he smelt a dangerous, he definitely smelt like a full-human, and even ran a full-human agency AGAINST alices. Mikan understood what he was thinking, and explained it to him.

"Reo-oniisan is a half-shifter. His father is human, while his mother is wolf. When he masks his alice, he appears to be a full-fledged human."

Upon hearing that, Natsume felt like his life in AAO was a lie. He couldn't believe that he didn't realised for three whole years!

When Yuka and Izumi first met Reo in high school, they found that Reo was a target of bully because he was neither fully human, nor fully alice. Since he had enrolled in a school for alices, he had suffered the attacks of alices, and some of his injuries were serious. Yuka and Izumi noticed that and extended their helping hand towards him. Initially he was wary of them as they were alices, but with effort, they managed to enter his heart.

"Anyway," she continued with her story. "We were super close... until something happened."

When Natsume heard 'super close', he burned with jealousy on the inside, but he put a lid over it. Now was not the time for his petty feelings.

"Something?" he asked.

"Mother, father and Reo-oniisan's dream was to see full-humans and alices coexist in harmony, and that was also the original purpose of AAO as well. The three of them gathered comrades and eventually built the organisation. But there was one guy called Taka..." In her memories, Taka was a fun guy, and he was Reo's best friend as well. He had dark chestnut hair and beautiful black eyes like the night sky. He was also a gentleman, but nobody knew that all these was just a farce.

Taka never believed in the harmony between to the very different beings. He hated alices, and he got close to Reo so he could use him instead.

"Taka was a serial alice killer, and his last victim was..." she teared up, "my father." The tears were escaping her eyes, and as much as she didn't want to show this vulnerable side of hers to Natsume, she couldn't help it. Her heart broke into pieces at the mention of her father.

She loved her father to his bones, but the fact that he was no longer a part of the world torn her apart. When Yuka found out that Taka was the culprit, she didn't even hesitate to rip his throat out with her claws. Mikan remembered clearly how her mother's howl was so grief-stricken, it made her own pain seem worthless. It was agonizing to see her mother act that way.

However, Reo had witnessed what Yuka did, and he thought that Yuka had betrayed him by killing his own best friend. Not wanting to hurt Reo, Yuka and Mikan escaped, but it was no use.

Reo still managed to find them despite their efforts to hide themselves. For years, they had been living a life under a knife that was hung above their heads, ready to drop anytime. They ran and ran, and there was never a place they could stay for more than 2 months. When he showed up at their door, he brought armed men with him, making them completely outnumbered.

"There was simply no way we could fight back..." she sighed at their powerlessness at that time. What was the use of being an alice if she didn't have any power to protect her loved ones? If only I had power... but it was too late for regrets. Both her mother and father were gone, and nothing would change that cruel fact.

"He killed her... and then went after me." It was a crazy night for her then. That horrific night haunted her in her nightmares, not letting her off despite the memory loss. Thinking back, it was a miracle how she had managed to escape from a much more powerful Reo.

If Natsume hadn't found her, maybe she wouldn't be here right now. She would probably be food for Reo instead.

Thank god Natsume was the one who found her! If not, she wouldn't be able to enjoy her time with her precious friends, and even reunite with Hotaru. And the worst thing was, she wouldn't be able to spend time with Natsume like this. Her one and only mate.

A blush crept up at the thought of their passionate mating night, erasing away the distasteful past. As she was busy remembering his body that was illuminated by the moonlight, Natsume suddenly pulled her hand and hugged her strongly within his arms.

He whispered in a low guttural voice, "It must have been hard for you," and then he squeezed her tighter, "I'll protect you no matter what."

She melted like marshmallows in his warm embrace, enjoying every moment of being in his strong and secure arms. _You are always protecting me... I want to protect you too Natsume..._

"Mm..."

They moved closer to each other-as if they weren't close enough already-and parted their lips. It was a slow, fluid-like movement when their lips brushed against each other gently, but passionately. At that very moment, Mikan felt his passion coursing through her body, causing her to shake uncontrollably. As he deepened the kiss and inserted his tongue in her mouth, she moaned softly, and replied him back with her own tongue. As they rubbed their tongue against each other tirelessly, Natsume's hand slid down her back and cupped her bottom, applying a little pressure. She jumped up slightly when he did that, but their lips never parted.

Mikan could hear her racing heart, and she hoped Natsume wouldn't hear it. It was still embarrassing even after all they did. Then, she heard another heartbeat that was equally as fast as hers. _He's nervous? But he always seems so calm when kissing me..._ she was ecstatic about her new discovery that Natsume could be so cute this way.

After what seemed like eons, they finally broke away from each other, getting the much needed air.

"We better stop here-" Natsume panted. There was overwhelming desire in his voice, and somehow it sounded way more sexy than usual. "-or else who knows what I might do to you." He smirked devilishly, making her anticipate what would happen if he hadn't stopped.

What they were doing was not appropriate, but she felt slightly disappointed somehow. Her wolf pouted and flopped its ears down, looking more like a sad dog. As much as she tried to convince herself that stopping was the right thing to do, her wolf never knew how to lie.


	18. Chapter 18 - Betrayal?

**Authoress's Note:**

**Yay for updates! :) I can almost see the end coming guys :( Just a few more chapters! **

**Do enjoy reading, and reviews are appreciated ^^  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

Natsume walked her back to her room, hand in hand, earning the stares of everyone around them. They reached Mikan's room, and he stood in front of her door.

"Won't you stay for a while more? Just a little!" Mikan pleaded.

Natsume tightened his grip on her hand, "Sorry I can't. I've got to report to Persona first."

She pouted and looked down, "I understand." and then she looked up again, "but you've got to find me after that alright?"

"Hn."

Natsume gave her a sweet peck on her lips and walked away reluctantly. The vibration in his pocket had been going on and on, reminding him of his duty and forcing him to leave Mikan. He wished he could just smash his phone to bits then.

* * *

"You're late again dude!" Tsubasa put his hands on his hips, giving him a disapproving look.

"Hn."

Tsubasa sighed at Natsume's one-word reply, and gave up on him. Nobara stood silently beside Tsubasa, not uttering a word.

"Well at least Persona isn't here yet." The wolverine hung his arm around Natsume's shoulder, "What luck you have!"

Natsume glared at him, as if he placed a gun to Tsubasa's head.

Tsubasa lifted his arm, "Not my lucky day though." he muttered.

The three of them gathered in the Elementary School Principal's (ESP) office to report their mission. Although they were in high school, the ESP was in charge of the dangerous ability class, followed by Persona. The ESP was a small guy, but he had a big attitude. Till this date, no one knew what alice he had, and he remained as a total mystery to the school.

Suddenly, the door to the room swung open, revealing the small guy and the masked man that he was just thinking about. ESP and Persona, the two people he disliked the most. Tsubasa and Nobara scattered to the side to make way for them, and turned on their serious mode. There was just no joking with the two bosses in the room.

The ESP took his seat and Persona stood beside Natsume, of all places. Natsume rolled his eyes, but just kept quiet.

"Report to me." Although the ESP's words were few, but they held so much power in it. It showed that he was a powerful figure for a good reason.

Tsubasa, being the leader of the three, stepped forward.

"We trailed after the three students, and it led us to an abandoned warehouse. As expected, it was the AAO's doing."

"What was the motive?"

"Er..." Tsubasa glanced in the direction of Natsume. If he revealed everything, he knew that Natsume would be punished heavily for it. He couldn't bear to let Natsume be ruined at his own hands! "The three students were just bait to tell us a message."

"Oh?" The ESP raised a brow, "What message?"

"The AAO are targeting Gakuen Alice, and they aim to get rid of every shifter in this school." Tsubasa bit his lip. He told the truth, but skipped out a large portion of details. He prayed to all the gods in the world hoping that the ESP wouldn't find out despite how witty he was.

"I see." The ESP stared straight at Tsubasa, making feel jittery. "Is that all?"

Tsubasa gulped, "Y-Yes."

"Really? I seem to have heard something more." The ESP sat tall, "Something along the lines of... double agent? Right Natsume?"

The whole room fell into deafening silence. Nobody said or moved, let alone breathed for moments.

"Betraying the Academy is not a light thing. I'm sure you know what will happen to you."

"Please spare Natsume! He had a reason for it!" Tsubasa said without thinking. He couldn't bear to watch Natsume being tortured under the hands of the ESP. He couldn't even bear to think about it! It was just too cruel.

"Reason? What could be so important that he would betray the Academy? I'm sure it's been instilled into everyone in dangerous ability class that the Academy comes first."

Tsubasa couldn't say anything, Nobara was scared out of her wits, and Natsume just remained silent like nothing just happened.

"Since you(Natsume) have nothing to say, I will-"

"Please wait Principal."

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the person who said that. It was the person they least expected to go against the ESP's wishes.

Persona took a step forward and bowed politely first.

"I was the one who instructed Natsume to infiltrate the AAO."

The three of them looked at Persona with a confused expression. What was he saying? What he was saying was clearly a lie! Was he trying to defend Natsume? But why?

"I sent him on an undercover mission so that we would have a better idea of what the AAO is like." Persona continued on without wavering his voice, "To know your enemy, one must first start from within. And to fool the enemy, one must first fool his allies."

Persona's lie sounded so plausible, it nearly made the three of them think that that was the truth too. Now, the only thing was to see the ESP's reaction.

The ESP seemed to be deep in thought over Persona's words, and after a while, he made his decision.

"Very well."

Tsubasa's and Nobara's face brightened up, feeling elated that Natsume wouldn't have to be punished.

"But on the account that you have lied to me, you are to be confined in the underground prison for one week. You better reflect in there."

"...Yes."

Although being imprisoned for one week was a tough thing, especially for creatures of the wild who love to roam around, it was still better than getting all bloody. The only thing that he felt bad about was the fact that he wouldn't be able to live up to his words. He wouldn't be able to see his Mikan tonight, tomorrow, and the whole week.

What a torture!

* * *

During his confinement, Natsume wasn't allowed to bring any of his possessions with him. It was just him and a room with only a cold bed, but the room didn't seem too empty because of its small size. He was supposed to spend a week in this hellhole with absolutely nothing to do and nobody to talk to. Well, with the exception of the walls.

_Mikan... _

He suddenly remembered that he was supposed to meet her tonight. They were supposed to be cuddling right now. Or maybe doing something even more. He groaned, hating the situation that he was in now. Now, not only was he unable to meet her, he couldn't even inform her.

_Tch, she's going to be so angry._

He missed the warmth of her hands, her radiant smile that killed his inner demons, and the sound of her sweet voice that reverberated in his head. The fruity smell of her body...The body that writhed beneath him and trembled gently as he took her again and again in the infirmary... He sighed and hit the back of his head against the wall.

"Shit!" he cursed. One week was like an eternity to him.

_Since when did I become so attached to her?_ He chuckled to himself. Just one girl could change him so much. Even he was surprised at himself.

After meeting her, people around him commented that he had become kinder and more approachable. As time passed, the people around him increased by the numbers, and his dark life gradually became brighter and brighter. It was all thanks to her.

He fiddled with the ring, which was a pair with the necklace he gave Mikan, and slowly brought his hand up to kiss the ring. Natsume didn't understand why, but he had this uneasy feeling in his heart. It was like something bad was going to happen, and he hoped that it was just him.

* * *

_The next day…._

Mikan sprawled across her table, and rested her cheek on her arm. _Natsume that guy! He told me he would meet me yesterday night. Hmph! I'm going to ignore him!_ She puffed up her cheeks and knitted her brows. _He didn't even bother to call me to tell me, much less text me. To think I spent all night waiting for him, and even got whacked by Hotaru for leaving the light on! _She rubbed the back of her head in memory of her injury. _Whatever I shall not care about him!_

As she was sulking on her own, the door to the classroom suddenly flung open, shocking everyone.

"Good morning class!" Narumi made his grand entrance into the classroom. As usual, he was being his flashy self. "Let's start with attendance shall we?"

"Hai~" the class said in unison, and the students scooted back to their respective seats.

"...Nogi Ruka?"

"Here."

"Sakura Mikan?"

"Here!"

"Hyuuga Natsume?"

No one replied him.

"Hyuuga Natsume?"

Narumi brought his gaze from the attendance book to survey the classroom.

"Not here huh? Has anyone seen Natsume-kun?"

Everyone just looked at each other with ignorance on their faces.

Ruka raised his hand, "Sensei, he might be away on a mission."

"Strange... He should be back by now." Narumi scratched his head, "I'll mark him as absent for now. Ruka, check up on him for me will you?"

"Hai Sensei."

And soon class started with one absentee in the class.

Mikan looked at the empty spot beside her. She thought that it was weird that Natsume would miss class, especially when she clearly saw him yesterday.

"Sakura," Ruka whispered, "did you see him yesterday?"

"Yeah I did, but only for a short while. He disappeared after that."

"I see... I hope he doesn't get in trouble..."

The worry in Mikan's heart grew larger, and she felt an inexplicable anxiousness inside her.

* * *

_In the cafeteria..._

Mikan pressed the red button on her phone after hearing the beep sound.

"He isn't answering?" Ruka questioned.

"Yeah...It's like the 20th time. I'm worried..." Mikan slouched, and pressed the redial button.

"Don't worry Mikan-chan! I'm sure he's fine!" Iinchou said, trying to relieve her of her worry.

As Mikan was busy redialling Natsume, she heard Natsume's name surface in the conversation beside their table. Not that she was trying to eavesdrop though.

"Hey hey is it true?" one guy wearing a snapback nudged his friend.

"What is true?"

"You know, the rumour about Natsume being a double agent!"

When Mikan and the gang heard the two words, they immediately perked up and tuned in to their conversation discreetly.

"Oh that! That's not a rumour. It's the fact! He betrayed the academy! I heard he's being punished for it now."

"Wow that bastard! I knew he wasn't made up of good stuff!"

Unable to stand hearing her precious idol being insulted, Sumire got up and slammed her fist onto their table.

"Hey! Don't be spreading false rumours about Natsume-sama!" she hollered.

The guy wearing the snapback and his friend shrank back into their shells in front of the mighty queen with their hands up in defence.

"I-It's true, I swear! I heard it personally!" his friend stuttered.

"Oh?" Sumire glowered at him while leaning in to his face, "From who?"

"I was one of the students who were kidnapped! Some big shot from AAO exposed his identity in front of us-"

"You really think I'll believe your bullshit? There's no way Natsume-sama would betray us!" she snarled.

"W-Well, I'm telling the truth!" he nudged his friend, "Come on, let's go!"

And the two of them evacuated the cafeteria, leaving the gang dumbfounded.

"Ne..." Iinchou said, "Are those rumours really true?"

"Iinchou! Obviously that's a lie!" Sumire scolded him, "Natsume-sama will never do something like that!"

"That's right Iinchou! Natsume is not that sort of guy!" Mikan added. She absolutely refused to believe that Natsume would betray the academy. He was not that sort of guy, she just knew it. But why is Natsume missing? Unless... he's really being punished? She sighed to herself and followed the gang out of the cafeteria.

Mikan was thinking to herself when she suddenly noticed the lack in numbers.

"Hey," she called out, "has anyone seen Hotaru and Ruka-pyon?"

"Nope!"

"Nuh-uh. But strange how they disappeared together."

"Oh my god! Don't tell me those two are..." Sumire made a shocked expression on her face, "Nooooo Ruka-sama!"

"Permy you're overthinking! Oh well, I'm heading to the toilet for a sec. Go on without me!"

After stepping out of the toilet feeling refreshed and hygienic, she heard Hotaru's voice from a distance.

Hotaru? I wonder who she's talking to? Mikan hid behind a pillar and turned her head with her ear facing Hotaru. The person she was talking to was blocked by the pillar so she could only rely on her sharp ears now. She willed her wolf ears out and tuned in to the conversation.

"...Those rumours are true right?" Hotaru said.

_Rumours? Is she talking about the one about Natsume?_

"I don't know."

_Isn't that Ruka she's talking to? Maybe that's why they disappeared together! I'm totally eavesdropping now but...argh I'm curious!_

"Don't lie. Your silent behaviour at the canteen was pretty obvious."

She heard Ruka sigh, "I can't hide anything from you huh?"

Mikan saw Hotaru smirk but it disappeared in a flash.

"Yes. It's true. Natsume did work for the AAO."

...What? Suddenly Mikan's world became colourless. The sound of the outside world drowned in her thoughts, and she could no longer focus on anything. She took a few steps back unstably, and ran away. She dreaded to her the continuation of the conversation.

_Why?_ So many questions surfaced in her head that it overwhelmed her. He was working for the AAO? But... Since when? How? For what reason? Disbelief and anxiety hit her like a tornado, making her emotions all mixed up. Natsume was working for the AAO? The AAO who...killed her family?

As her emotions brimmed over abruptly, she felt something cold rolling down her cheek, leaving its wet trail behind. She lifted her hand and wiped it across her face in one stroke. Natsume..._ I need to find Natsume._


	19. Chapter 19 - At The Sakura Tree

**Authoress's Note:**

**Hey guys! Sorry I was late with updates XD Now's the exam period and I've been a little busy :P**

**Hope you guys enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

"..." Hotaru looked away, obviously displeased by his answer. She wouldn't allow anyone to hurt Mikan, even if that person was Natsume.

"But his allegiance is to the academy, not AAO."

Hotaru's ears perked up. "What do you mean?"

"Let's just say the AAO is at fault for Natsume's plight now."

She understood immediately, and knew that Ruka didn't reveal Natsume's story for his sake.

"Alright. I know all I need to know." Hotaru turned around and walked away.

* * *

_After lessons, in the staffroom..._

"As you all know, the AAO has been active recently." the High School Principal (HSP) said with a calm expression on his face, "Not only that, they had kidnapped three students from our school as a warning to us."

The teachers started whispering amongst themselves, but the HSP cleared his throat to silence them.

"We do not know what their motives or plans are, but one thing for sure is that we have to be prepared for what they throw at us. We need to tighten the security and keep a sharp eye to any suspicious individuals."

As the HSP continued talking, Narumi stared off into empty space. _AAO...What exactly are you after Reo? Is your hatred towards alices that strong?_ He pushed his eyebrows together, _Do you still blame her?_

". . .nsei. Narumi-sensei?"

Narumi snapped out of his internal world and went back to reality. "Huh?"

"I was asking if you have any suggestions."

"Oh uh…not at the moment."

* * *

_8PM._

After a shower, Mikan stepped out of the bathroom with her chestnut hair dripping wet. Although the shower was refreshing, her mind was not at all refreshed. She still didn't know how to react to the fact that Natsume worked under the AAO.

_Does it mean that he had a part in my mother's death? Was everything just a lie? Was the time we spend together, the memories we created together and the sweet words he whispered to me, all just...a lie?_

Her mind was a huge blank at the thought of it. There was no way Natsume would lie to her. Right?

Her negative thoughts clung onto her for dear life, and the more she harped on it, the more the black mass of fear inside her grew_. I don't believe Natsume is evil. That's right! I want to believe in him! _Mikan clutched onto the diamond necklace he gave her. She wanted to hear the truth from his own mouth. But when she finally made the decision to confront him, there was another part of her that didn't want to know the truth.

The annoying two-word 'what if' was like a thorn in her heart, deeply embedded all the way to the inner core.

Mikan walked to her table to get her comb. When she reached for it, she found something that didn't seem to belong there.

It was a piece of white paper folded into half, and then placed at the most conspicuous spot ever. With her slender fingers, she picked the paper up and carefully opened it.

It read:

_Meet me at our sakura tree._

_-N_

_N? It must be Natsume!_ And only Natsume would know the importance of the sakura tree which they labelled as theirs.

It was time to get out of the maze in her head. She breathed in and out. _Mikan, you're going to calmly listen to what he has to say. No jumping to conclusions!_ With her comb, she quickly ran it through her brown locks and zoomed her way to the sakura tree.

_At the Sakura tree..._

At a distance, she could see a silhouette that definitely belonged to a man. _That must be him!_ Once again, she took in deep breaths. The conversation was already simulated in her head and she had already prepared herself for every outcome, good or bad.

The silhouette blended in the darkness, making it difficult for her to see in the night. As the distance between them shortened, her heartbeat quickened.

"Natsume?" she called out hesitantly.

He turned around.

Mikan's eyes widened. She became completely petrified at that instance.

"R-Reo-oniisan?" she gasped. The words barely even escaped her mouth. _What was he doing here? And how? Why?_ So many questions popped out in her head that she couldn't process it all.

Reo smirked at her in a way that got her hair standing. "Miss me?"

_I need to get away._ Every fibre in her body was in alert mode. _Now. _But she couldn't. She was paralysed from head to toe. Hell, she couldn't even tremble!

"Why do you look like that? I'm hurt." He drew his eyebrows together to feign a hurt look, but even a four year old knew better.

"Why are you here?" How did he even get past security? Gakuen Alice was renowned for its heavy security, there was no way he could have breached security.

"Oh Natsume didn't deliver my message to you?"

_Betrayers will be punished. Just like Yuka was._

That familiar sensation ran down her spine again. The look in his eyes were cold and blood thirsty, as if he had starved for years. Where was the friendly and warm brother she had once known? Mikan wanted him back. There must be some trace of him left. She just knew it. But first, she had to resolve all the misunderstandings between them.

"Mother didn't betray you!" Mikan finally managed to get the words off her chest. "Although she did kill Taka, it was for revenge, and to protect you!"

"Revenge?" he scoffed, "Protect me?"

"Do you really expect me to believe that bullshit?"

"I'm telling the truth!" she desperately said. But her words were falling on deaf ears.

"I only believe in what I see." he coldly said as he got closer. With a lift of his hand, he grabbed Mikan's wrist and looked into her eyes intensely without blinking. "And that is, Yuka betrayed me."

"No, listen-" But before she could continue, he took out a syringe and inserted it into her back. It left a nasty stinging sensation in her wound, and grogginess hit her like a wave.

"Don't worry, I won't let you die so fast and easily." he chuckled evilly, "I want you to feel the same pain as me. The pain of watching your friends die!"

That was the last she heard of Reo's voice.

_Natsume...Everyone..._

Before she could say anything, darkness consumed her whole being. As she sank deeper into the darkness, the faces of her loved ones vanished before her eyes. She reached out her hands to touch them but they were no longer tangible. She screamed their names but no one replied. Nobody was there to save her. Nobody...

* * *

"I'm back." Hotaru said as she opened the door to her room, but she was greeted by silence and the darkness looming around in the room.

"Where did that girl go?" she mumbled.

Hotaru turned on the lights and put down her belongings. There was a folded note on the table which she noticed and read.

_N? Natsume? But isn't he..._

The news of Natsume's confinement spread to her ears. Or rather, more specifically, she had planted a bug in the ESP's office like it was the most natural thing to do. Nothing ever escapes her ears after all because apparently the saying 'Walls have ears' stemmed from her.

Anyway, if Natsume was in confinement, it would be illogical that he would meet up with her. Unless he broke out, which would be impossible.

Then who exactly was with Mikan? Her heart started to beat faster because of the missing piece of puzzle in her head. The tiger in her grew restless, and she knew that her tiger's intuition was never wrong.

In a second, she partially shifted to boost her speed, and rushed out of the room and down the hallway without even locking her door. When she reached the sakura tree, there was no sign of Mikan.

No smell, no marks. Nothing! She clicked her tongue and folded her arms. To be able to mask his scent to this extent, this person must be very formidable.

Suddenly, the sound of gunshots going off ripped through her ears as if she were right next to a fireworks display. When the gunshots sounded, the shock made her heart feel like it had just burst like a balloon. Even her hair stood on its ends.

Where did the sudden gunshots come from? Terrified screams accompanied the gunshots. Window glass could be heard shattering into a thousand pieces. Soon enough, the alarm system went off. It was the kind of sound that rang when there was a fire.

"This is an invasion from AAO!" the sound system was activated, and the announcement travelled through the entire school. "I repeat, this is an invasion from the AAO!"

"Staff and students, please be on your guards! Students below high school level please head to safe locations immediately!" Luckily for Gakuen Alice, the students knew basic defending and attacking skills, and they were not to be trifled with. It took several men to bring down one shifter, so it wasn't going to be so easy to bring down the school. However, the younger ones were still inexperienced and lacked fighting skills. They didn't stand a chance at all.

_AAO? How did they even get in?_ Hotaru grew worried for her friends. She wanted to find them but her priority now was Mikan. There was no mistaking it that her disappearance had to do with the sudden invasion. It was all just too coincidental for the two happenings to be completely unrelated to one another.

But before she could find Mikan, there was another person she had to find first.

Natsume.

Only he had the answer to where Mikan was. With absolutely no time to waste, her two legs became four, and her mighty stripes appeared on her body.

_Time to speed things up._


	20. Chapter 20 - Mission: Rescue Natsume

**Authoress's Note:**

**Thanks for the reviews, favs and follows ^^ Aw man things are getting intense :P I tried adding a little RxH moment here, don't you just love that pairing? **

**Hope you enjoy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

"Dude! Was that a gunshot?" A guy, who was like a megaphone broadcasting to the whole world with his earth trembling voice, said.

Another door to a room opened in curiosity. "You heard it too? I thought it was just me! There were some screaming too!"

"Oh my god, what the hell is going on?"

More doors opened one after another, and everyone had the same expression on their faces. Worried brows knitted so closely together, it made their eyebrows look like uni-brows.

Suddenly a student ran frantically into the dorm and screamed for everyone to escape. He spoke like a bullet train, but the students got the gist of it and started scrambling for their lives.

Ruka heard the commotion too and quickly rushed out of his room to find out what was going on.

"Hey!" he said as he grabbed the same guy who was screaming while running down the hallway. "What's all the ruckus about?"

His neighbour stopped to catch his breath. "I ran out to check what was going on-" he panted, "there are people in black armed with guns, and I heard people screaming 'AAO'!"

"AAO?" Ruka gasped, unconsciously releasing his grip on the guy's arm.

"Yeah! Isn't that the organisation that...hunts alices? We are so dead...We're no match at all!" his face was crestfallen, like he just met his grave.

Ruka gave him a reassuring pat on his back. "Don't worry. Do what you can to escape to someplace safe!"

The guy nodded his head and followed the swarm of people but looked back. "Wait Ruka-kun! Aren't you coming?"

"Go ahead without me! I need to find my friends!"

"...Okay." he said with a worried look on his face, "But stay safe!"

"Yeah thanks."

Ruka really hoped he would.

A minute later, the announcement confirmed that there was an invasion from AAO. Ruka called Natsume but he couldn't get through despite the countless attempts.

_Seriously...Where did that guy go during such a dangerous time!_ He ran out of the dorm, unlocked his mobile and dialled Iinchou. His phone screen was still stuck at 'connecting...'. Never once in his life had he felt so anxious just because a person wasn't answering the phone. _Come on Iinchou! Pick up!_

Finally his prayers were answered when he heard a voice on the other end. He sighed mentally and physically.

"Iinchou?" he questioned with a slight quiver in his voice.

"Ruka-kun!"

"Oh thank god. Are you alright?" _Please say yes._

"Yes we are safe!"

He sighed with relief, "Where are the others?"

"Oh, they are here with me."

In the background, Ruka could hear the familiar voices of his precious friends. Sumire was scolding Koko for not being serious. As usual. Anna and Nonomiya were talking in a quick voice. They were very easily scared after all.

"Good. Where are you guys?"

"We are at-"

The conversation was cut off by the screams of his friends who were previously safe, followed by a cruel 'ka-chak'. He then looked at his phone only to find that his call got ended.

"Damn it!" he cursed. But he definitely cursed way more mentally.

Unhealthy thoughts coursed through his mind like a river that had no end. _Did they get caught by the AAO? _The image of guns flashed through his head, and the gunshots he heard just a second ago wasn't exactly helping. As he imagined his friends collapsing one after another to the ground, he felt bile rising up his throat. He clasped his hands together._ Please don't let my thoughts come true!_

_Natsume...I hope you are safe!_ He knew that his best friend was way more reliable and experienced when it came to situations like this. He should believe that Natsume was safe. He must believe.

As he was trapped in his never ending thoughts, he felt something 'whoosh' past him.

It possessed well-defined stripes, that were bold, and violet orbs with slits that sparkled like jewels in the dark night.

A tiger with violet eyes? It can only be one person.

"Imai!" Ruka called out, hoping she would catch his voice.

She skidded to a stop with her fours, and turned back. Ruka hurried to like a lost boy who had just found his mother. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

"What are you doing here? You should be going somewhere safe."

"I was just about to meet Iinchou and the rest but..." he look down with deep lines on his forehead, "I was disconnected from them. I think the AAO got them..."

Hotaru's eyes widened in shock, and she growled lowly with heartache.

No 'words' were spoken but Ruka knew very well what she was thinking. This was one of the rare times where Hotaru's poker face peeled off like a veil, and revealed a hurt expression on her face.

He knew, because their feelings were on the same boat now.

"Where are you rushing off to?" Ruka questioned with a shaky voice. It was weird that Hotaru was deviating from the crowd. More importantly, she wasn't with Mikan.

"I'm going to find Natsume. Mikan's missing."

"What?" he gasped, "Mikan's missing?""

_No no no! Not her! Of all people, why her? _He had always pictured Mikan's image in his head, but now that image crumbled like dust.

"Mikan received a note from Natsume asking her to meet him. But as far as I know, 'he' is not Natsume."

"What do you mean?" Everything was happening so fast that he couldn't process all his thoughts.

"We don't have time. I'll explain it to you on the way."

Ruka nodded and shifted into his alice. His sparking golden hair grew longer and thicker, eventually becoming his proud mane. His short and silky fur that coated his body reflected the moonlight, making it seem more golden than blond. His hooves 'clacked' as they came into contact with the ground, and his tail swished left and right.

When he found Hotaru staring blankly at him, he nickered to clear his throat. He felt so awkward with her intense stare.

"It's the first time I've seen you as a horse."

Ruka blushed a little from the embarrassment.

"I know it's not manly at all...Don't laugh at me."

"I'm not laughing." Hotaru said as they leaped and galloped side by side like companions. "Besides, I think you look great."

Ruka looked at her in surprise. The blackmailing queen was giving him a compliment? That was even rarer than a meteorite hitting mother Earth! Did she just smile a little? Now that was even more shocking.

"Who knew that the Hanahime den had an underground dungeon?" Ruka looked at the Hanahime den that was styled in a traditional Japanese way. Rumours were that the Himemiya, or MSP, who lived here was a renowned beauty in the Alice world. The mysterious figure was said to have long wavy hair that flowed down all the way to her back. Her emerald orbs captivated many men, alice or not, and stole their hearts, but she also hated men to the core.

There was a rule that no man of any kind could step a foot into her sacred Hanahime den, or else he would not live to see tomorrow. Her loyal retainers would make sure to wipe him off the face of Earth.

Whenever she made public appearances, she would wear her traditional kimono garbs with flower patterns sewn on, befitting her title of Hanahime(Flower princess). Her face was always half hidden behind that fan of hers, adding on to her enigmatic aura.

Her Hanahime den was extremely wide and spacious, and one would definitely get lost if they were new here.

"How do you even know the way to enter the den? Isn't it supposed to be heavily guarded?" Ruka questioned as he followed behind Hotaru like a tail attached to its body. They had already shifted back to their human forms since Ruka's golden fur was way too striking for the eyes.

Hotaru said confidently, "I have my ways. Besides, they are too busy protecting their beloved Himemiya to notice that we are here." She crouched through the bushes hat covered them, and looked out for guards. Seeing that there was no one, she signalled to Ruka and then ran. They were a step closer to the dungeon now.

"We'll be safe here. This area is a blind spot."

How did she even know so much? Ruka looked at her in awe. There was no end to discovering new things about the mysterious raven haired girl.

She led him through the den that Ruka could no longer remember the way around. He had been turning left and right so many times that he lost count. This place was just like a maze!

Suddenly, Hotaru braked, causing him to bump into her. She crouched down and felt the ground.

Now what was she doing?

Her hands continued to roam until she found the correct spot. She turned some sort of switch and the previously flat ground made way for a staircase made of stone, which led underground.

Ruka could feel the ground rumbling as it opened up, like there was a mini earthquake. Somehow nothing surprised him anymore. So many things had been happening at once, he felt numb now. But he admitted, whoever created the underground pathway was pretty cool.

"Hurry up." Hotaru urged, and Ruka complied. There was no time to waste.

Thank god that the dungeon was less complicated than the den. It actually led to somewhere. There were torches on the walls but they were unlit. Hotaru grabbed one torch and lit it up at the fire bowl next to her.

"Come on, let's find Natsume." and once again, she led the way.

As they treaded, Ruka noticed that the walls felt rough and coarse, just like how he imagined a dungeon to be. The ground was uneven and not pleasant to walk on, and he thought he saw a six-legged 'friend' crawl past him just now. The air was stagnant and there was no ventilation at all. It felt like the air wasn't moving and it had this stench to it. Was this the kind of condition that Natsume has been living in the past few days? Like a prisoner? To think that he had been all alone in this darkness...

And Natsume hated darkness the most.

As they proceeded forward, they saw that the other cells were empty and dusty. Nobody bothered to clean up a cell after all. There was no sign of Natsume yet. Just then, Ruka's furry friends lined up in front of him and started moving their paws as if they were using sign language. They squeaked, telling Ruka to follow them.

Ruka nodded and neighed a thanks to them. The blond was like the friend of all nature animals. He attracted them like how bees were attracted to honey, and that was his natural ability. Sensing his distress, the rats came out of their hiding place and guided the way for him. This time, it was Ruka's turn to shine. He grabbed Hotaru's hand so that he wouldn't lose her in this cold darkness.

_It's so strange how her hand feels so tiny in mine..._

He just couldn't get used to it. Their hands that were entwined felt so unnatural but he didn't dislike it. There was one thing that he couldn't decipher though. Who did the pounding he felt in their hands belong to?


	21. Chapter 21 - Reunited

**Authoress's Note:**

**OMG guys TT This is the second last chapter :((( It's been too fast! *Sobs* Thanks for the reviews, favs and follows guys! ^^  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice**

* * *

"Natsume!" Ruka grabbed the bars of the cell. He'd finally reunited with his best friend! The raven-haired guy was leaning against the wall as he sat on the bed. He had his legs crossed and wrists on his knees, like how meditators sat. Natsume slowly opened his eyes, revealing the same crimson eyes that blazed in the dark. But Ruka could also see the longing in his eyes. Poor guy, with no sense on time in this desolated dungeon, he must have gone crazy from the waiting.

When Natsume's eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make out the face of his brother. His eyes widened.

"Ruka?" he grabbed and put his face near the bars. "What are you doing here?"

"I have no time to explain! Sakura is in danger!"

"What?" Natsume gripped the bars tight, a deep frown carved onto his face. _I knew something was wrong!_

"I'd appreciate it if there was less talking and more helping guys," Hotaru tried to fiddle with the darned lock on the door. She tried the classic method of using a pin but it was fruitless. Then, she took out a pen-like object.

"What's that?"

"Just some laser."

Before she activated it, Natsume stopped her.

"Wait. It'll backfire."

"What do you mean?" she was just seconds away from giving Natsume his freedom and saving Mikan, things couldn't get any worse right?

"If I forcefully broke out by tampering with the lock, the defence system will activate. It won't be pretty."

Hotaru clicked her tongue. She should have known how Gakuen Alice operated. They rarely left loopholes.

"Then what do we do? The longer we delay, I'm afraid Mikan will..." Ruka didn't finish his sentence. He was afraid that what he said would come true, and he didn't desire that.

They were cracking their brains for a solution when suddenly, somebody patted both Hotaru's and Ruka's shoulders, causing them to be startled. They quickly grabbed the hand and prepared to counter the mysterious person.

"Ouch! You guys sure have strength!"

"This voice..." Ruka mumbled, "Narumi-sensei?"

Hotaru held up the torch to confirm his identity. It really was Narumi. He sure hid his scent well. Or maybe it was the stench in the dungeon that covered it up.

"Hiya!"

"Don't 'hiya' me Narumi," Natsume said with an annoyed voice. "What the hell are you doing here?"

He motioned his hands, and Hotaru and Ruka let go of them.

"Is this how you greet your benefactor?" he pulled out a silvered key with a round head.

Natsume swallowed his words and the three of them remained silent as Narumi unlocked the door. Finally, Natsume was free. He wanted wings so badly now so he could fly to his lover, but it was too bad he was a land type of alice.

"The AAO invaded the school," Narumi explained as they headed for the exit. "You know what this means right Natsume-kun?"

"Reo..." his name left a terrible aftertaste on his tongue. If he had a sanitizer, he would definitely empty the bottle on his tongue. That bastard was evil. Who knows what he would do to Mikan?

Hotaru and Ruka didn't fully understand they conversation but that wasn't the main priority now.

"Narumi-sensei?" Hotaru called out as she noticed that their teacher was heading in a different direction.

"Go and find Mikan-chan. I'll catch up later." he shifted, and leaped away.

She felt so groggy when she opened her eyes, as if she just woke up from a thousand years of slumber.

_What happened...?_ Mikan shook her head a few times to clear it up, _I remember I was just at the sakura tree talking with...with..._ When the puzzle pieces in her head finally fit, she shot up from her resting position, but the strange thing was that she couldn't seem to move her limbs.

_Damn it, I'm all tied up!_

The ropes were cleverly bound around her wrists and ankles, making it impossible for her to untie herself. Her mouth was sore from being gagged and she hated the distasteful taste of the rag in her mouth. It was coarse and strangely bitter, and she didn't want to know what this rag was once used for.

She surveyed the room which was somehow familiar to her. There were audio equipment and a projector in front of her. Mikan then realised that she was in the broadcasting room. But why? Suddenly, the door opened and Reo walked in with his commanding gait.

"I see that you are awake," he looked at her impassively, "Did you miss me?"

A chill went down her spine, "Mmmff..!"

"I was just taking care of the fools outside." he said as he reached out his hand and tilted her chin, "Bloody idiots who don't know their place."

As he laughed hysterically, Mikan frowned. He was not the Reo that she knew. _My kind brother...where are you?_

He stopped laughing midway, "Why are you looking at me with those eyes?"

Reo grabbed her shoulders and dug his nails into it, causing her to wince. "Don't look at me with those eyes of pity! I have power! Wealth! I am no longer the naive fool back then! Those foolish alices won't take advantage of me anymore! And friendship can just go to hell!" he huffed as he flew into an outburst.

Mikan continued staring at him with sorrowful eyes. _It's our fault that he turned out like this... If only we had explained it to him properly. Looking at him now...he wouldn't believe me anymore. I'm sorry Reo-oniisan..._

"Hah!" Reo scoffed, "You should pity yourself instead! Poor Mikan, who will save the damsel in distress?"

What was he talking about? Now that she thought about it, if his motive was revenge, why didn't he just kill her? Why go through all the trouble to kidnap her?

"Or should I say," Reo picked up the remote to the projector and turned the screen on. "Damsels in distress?"

Mikan widened her eyes in shock when she looked at the screen. _Iinchou! Anna! Nonoka, Sumire, Koko!_

"Mmmff!" she tried to scream but it was fruitless.

It tore her heart to see her friends sprawled on the ground, all bruised and battered, bleeding from wounds that should never have existed. Mikan shut her eyes. She didn't want to see her friends in agony. And what was worse was that, it was all her fault.

Reo grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back.

"I want you to look. Look at your friends suffering! Feel my pain!"

Tears rolled down her cheeks one by one, leaving its trail on her cheeks. She screamed 'stop it!' loudly, but nobody could hear her pleas.

"Are you feeling pain little ones? Let me tell you... The hell you are facing is all thanks to your dear friend Mikan!" Reo spoke into a speaker for Iinchou and the rest to hear.

The man wearing a black suit in the video took out a whip and whipped Iinchou. She could hear the whip slicing through the air. Iinchou screamed out in pain, and then took in a deep breath.

"I don't care what you do to us but...don't hurt Mikan-chan!"

"Yeah...the only one allowed to hurt her is me! Her rival!" Sumire struggled to stand up, and she did, unsteadily.

"Oi Baka! If you are hearing this then...Don't worry about us! We're alices! We're strong."

Sumire limped towards the camcorder and destroyed it.

The screen was blank. The only thing linking her and her friends was gone. Sumire didn't want her to see them suffering, that's why she destroyed the camcorder_. I'm sorry I'm so useless...you all are suffering yet you still have to look out for me..._ A million needles pricked her heart, and she felt like she was bleeding inside.

_I need to save them. I will!_ Mikan willed herself to shift and almost did, but an electric shock went through her body and drained her energy.

"I used anti-alice ropes to bind you. Do you really think I'll let you escape that easily?"

She glared at him.

"You look like you have something to say." he contemplated for a while, "Fine, I'll let you speak. It'll be no fun otherwise."

Reo removed her gag and threw it on the ground. She swallowed her saliva to moisten her throat first.

"Why are you doing this?" her voice was laced with hurt and anger."

"Why?" Reo snorted in disbelief, "I told you, didn't I? This is revenge for Taka! I want you to feel my pain!"

_Natsume's side_

"So what's the link between AAO's invasion and Mikan's disappearance?" Ruka asked. Someone owed him an explanation to the crazy situation they are in now.

Hotaru kept silent and looked at Natsume too. She somewhat had an idea to what was going on, but she didn't get the full picture. Natsume sighed and explained the whole story to them.

"Wait...so you are saying this leader of AAO, who goes around killing shifters even though he's part shifter, kidnapped Sakura for revenge?"

"Hn."

"Oh no...We need to rescue her quick!"

"But we don't even know where she is," Hotaru added, "I can't pick up her scent."

Natsume closed his eyes and drowned himself in silence. He focused his thoughts on Mikan and her whereabouts, hoping that he could somehow find her. He wasn't sure why but something inside him told him that he knew where Mikan was. After a short while of intense concentration, he felt a strange pull, like a magnetic force, urging him towards a direction.

"Follow me." Natsume said.

_Mikan's side_

"Why?" Reo snorted in disbelief, "I told you, didn't I? This is revenge for Taka! I want you to feel my pain!"

_Mikan._

She heard someone calling her name. But who?

_Mikan! _

Trying to source out for the voice, she looked around, but the only ones in the room were Reo and her.

_Mikan...where are you?_

_This voice...it's Natsume's! But how?_ The voice was in her head, like telepathy.

_Natsume! _

_Mikan! Is that you?_

_Yes! But how- what in the world-_

_We'll chat later, I'm coming to save you Mikan. Hang in there!_

Mikan could feel the warmth in his voice. She looked at the necklace that was dangling on her neck.

'You will always be surrounded by the strength of my love'

_That's right, I can't give up! I still haven't heard the truth from him. I must see him! _

"Taka isn't who you think he is!" Mikan shouted, gaining Reo's attention. "He's a murderer!" _One of the keys hung on his waist is probably to the room that Iinchou and the rest are trapped in! I just need to find a chance..._

Reo's eyes widened in fury, and he grabbed Mikan by her jaws, lifting her off the ground.

"Don't you dare sully his name!"

The pain was excruciating but it was nothing compared to the pain deep in her. She chomped on his hand and bit it as hard as she could. A metallic taste spread in her mouth, leaving a bitter aftertaste. Reo groaned in pain and released her, and she took the chance to aim for the keys.

She stooped down like an eagle stooping on its prey, and used her mouth to pull on the keys. _I need more strength... I guess I just have to try!_ Once again, she willed herself to shift. Reo noticed what she was doing and elbowed her. She winced in pain but she didn't care.

The electric current spread through her body, but she could feel that her fangs was making its entrance. _Just...a bit more! I must endure! _

Mikan finally manage to pull the keys, and she hopped towards the exit at maximum speed.

"Bitch! You really think you can outrun me?" He reached for her and pulled on her hair, causing her to jerk back.

"Urgh!"

"Let go of Mikan!"

A lithe figure flashed pass her eyes, and pounced onto Reo, causing him to release his grip on her. On top of Reo was a spotted black panther, one that she knew too well.

_He came!_

"Mikan!"

"Sakura!"

"Hotaru! Ruka-pyon!" she teared up. She wanted to hug them but couldn't do so.

Hotaru and Ruka quickly untied the ropes and set her free.

Mikan grabbed Hotaru's arms, "Please! You have to save Iinchou and the rest!"

"It's my fault that they're suffering...Please help them!" she squeezed Hotaru's arms.

Hotaru nodded and took the keys from Mikan.

"What about you?" Hotaru asked with concern.

The answer was obvious. Hotaru knew that Mikan wouldn't leave Natsume behind. She grabbed Ruka and went to her friends' rescue.

_Stay safe both of you!_

After Hotaru and Ruka left, she could finally concentrate on the situation at hand. Natsume, who was in his panther form, was struggling to keep Reo down. His paws were on Reo's body, and his thick claws extended. Reo struggled and held Natsume back, and with a burst of strength, he flung him off. Natsume regained his balance and landed on all fours. He stood in front of Mikan protectively, and lightly brushed his tail against her arm to reassure her.

_Stay back._

_No! I want to help!_

He growled at her in disapproval. _It's dangerous! Leave this to me okay? When I give you the signal, get out of here._

_No Nat-_

Reo shifted too. To deal with a shifter like Natsume, it took more than his anti-alice weapons.

It was a showdown between a wolf and a panther. Natsume growled and Reo howled, signalling the start of their battle. In a split second, the two of them were at each other's throat, rolling around on the floor. They snarled and growled at each other, and continued wrestling each other. The scene was happening so fast that she couldn't catch up. She felt so useless for being able to do nothing. Standing in her corner, being protected while other people get injured, was that what she wanted?

_Now Mikan! Go!_

Natsume failed to notice the onslaught of Reo. Mikan stood him in front of him, and braved the attack for him. She could feel Reo's claws digging into her back as he dragged his paw down it. It was just like how her mother defended her.

_NO MIKAN!_

Natsume used up the last reserve of his energy and took down Reo with one strike, leaving him at the corner unable to move. He changed back to human form, rushed to Mikan, who was bleeding profusely from her deep wound, and cradled her gently.

"Mikan...why?" his voice broke when he said her name.

"You've always been protecting me..." she coughed, "Now it's my turn."

Mikan gave him a smile that made his heart break. She was always so considerate. She was obviously hurt but she still thought about his feelings.

"Shh...You'll be fine. I promise." he took his shirt off and used it to stop the bleeding.


	22. Chapter 22 - The End

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gakuen Alice  
*reuploaded due to some issues*  
**

* * *

The long night was over. AAO's leader was down, and his minions were captured and put in prison. Narumi managed to call for reinforcements in time and protected the students from the AAO. Although there were injuries, it wasn't too heavy due to the emergency treatment team.

When Narumi found Mikan cradled in Natsume's arms, he immediately called for emergency treatment. Natsume's shoulders visibly relaxed, and he never let go of Mikan's hand. Narumi saw the mess in the room, and knew that a fierce battle just took place. He found Reo at the corner of the room, bleeding from his wounds as well.

He went to Reo's side, "Reo...you silly guy... Yuka didn't save you so you would turn out this way." With both hands, he gingerly lifted Reo up and carried him on his back.

_At the hospital..._

Her whole body felt stiff and heavy, and she could feel a stinging pain on her back. In the silent room, she could hear the slow rhythm of her heartbeat, breathing sounds, strange dripping sounds, and repetitive beeping noises. She felt cold, except for her right hand.

"Urgh..." Mikan groaned. As she tried to open her eyes, a bright white light blinded her eyes. _Is this heaven..?_

"You're awake?"

A warm hand gently caressed her forehead, then moved down to her cheeks.

"Am I dead?" she mumbled.

"Baka, you're in the hospital."

"You're right...Death wouldn't be this uncomfortable." she chuckled lightly.

He flicked her forehead. "Ouch!"

Thinking that he aggravated her injury, he flustered like a confused puppy.

She stuck out her tongue, "Just joking!"

"You-!"

"Seems like you are doing well eh Mikan-chan!" Narumi popped in the room, with a bouquet filled with colourful flowers. Upon seeing his face, Natsume clicked his tongue. "Hey! Not even a thanks to your saviour Natsume-kun?"

Natsume mumbled something with a sour face. Mikan knew that he said thanks but just couldn't be open with Narumi. He had a weird relationship with Narumi after all.

"Narumi-sensei! Thanks for the flowers, they're beautiful!" Mikan flashed a grin.

Narumi rubbed her head, "Anything for my little girl!"

"What?" Natsume snapped, and took his hand off her head. Seems like his jealousy of Narumi would never change.

Narumi laughed and placed the flowers in the vase beside the bed. Suddenly, the atmosphere was serious and silent.

"Mikan-chan...I don't know how to say this but...Reo's in the room beside yours."

Natsume looked away with an annoyed face. "That man should just be imprisoned already. Why bother saving him?"

"Reo and Yuka were my high school classmates, and we were very close. I believe deep down Reo still has a good side...Don't you believe it too Mikan?"

"..." Mikan kept silent. Narumi hit the nail on the head. Reo was good, until the tragedy happened. Well, it was partly her fault that things turned out like that... "Can I visit him?"

"Mikan it's dangerous!" Natsume protested.

"It's okay. Besides, I have you don't I?" she smiled at him. Who could refuse her?

Natsume and Narumi helped her to Reo's room. When she entered, Reo was sitting against the wall with a pillow in between. He looked at her as she entered, and Mikan could tell that the malice in his eyes were gone. There was a trace of her brother again.

She walked slowly towards him and sat down on a chair beside the bed.

"Are you okay?"

Reo looked at her in disbelief. "Are you really asking that to the one who tried to kill you?"

"... It was a misunderstanding."

"A misunderstanding? I tried to kill you Mikan! I killed Yuka! With my bare hands!" His eyes got watery, and he covered his face with his hands. "If Narumi didn't tell me...I would have never believe Taka was..."

Narumi? She turned to Narumi for an explanation.

_-Flashback-_

_"Why did you save me?" Reo questioned, glaring at Narumi. His arms were chained to the bed, making it impossible to escape. Well even if he did, it would be difficult to leave Gakuen Alice in his present condition._

_Narumi sighed and placed his hand on Reo's, "Because you are my friend."_

_Reo was stunned for a moment, but quickly reverted back to his cold face. "Friends? I have no friends. My last friend was murdered."_

_Narumi handed an envelope to Reo, prompting him to take it. "Yuka sent this to me while she was on the run. If only I had given this to you earlier, all this may not have happened..." he clenched his fist, and looked down._

_Reo opened the envelope with suspicion and pulled out the contents. As he took in the documents, he couldn't believe what he was reading._

_"Yuka...I...wronged you!" he unconsciously let go of the documents, which fell to the ground._

_What he read was the bad deeds and evidence of Taka's plans. How Taka killed shifters like they were pests, how he killed Yuka's husband, and how he even planned to kill Reo. Now the truth had come to light. After so many years of chasing after Yuka, it was only now when he realised that he had been wrong all this while. He had killed the innocent!_

_"This is Yuka's letter to you." Narumi reached for his pocket and pulled out a letter._

_The letter wrote:_

_Dear Reo,_

_I don't know if I am still around by the time this letter reaches your hands. I knew that if I had explained it to you face-to-face, nothing would have entered your revenge-filled head. That's why I have entrusted Narumi with my letter in hopes that it would reach you one day. I know it will. Please do not blame yourself for what has happened. It takes two hands to clap after all. I hope that you will make the right choices, for you and the people around you. _

_You are, and will always be my best friend forever._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Yuka_

_He clenched the letter in his hands, and tears streamed down his eyes. "Yuka...I'm sorry...!"_

_-End of flashback-_

"...I agree with mother. Please do not blame yourself, it wasn't entirely your fault." Mikan said truthfully. She wasn't trying to soothe him.

"I have tainted my hands with Yuka's blood, and the blood of many innocents. I cannot turn back now!"

Mikan rested her hands on Reo's hand and gently patted it. "Mother doesn't blame you. Besides, I'm sure she's happy living her life in heaven with father because when she went, she left with a smile on her face." Reo looked at her with eyes full of regret and despair. "The fact that you kill many cannot be changed... But it's never too late to make up for it."

"That's right Reo," Narumi placed his hand over Reo's hand as well, "we're here for you."

Reo didn't say anything, but his shoulders trembled as droplets of water fell to the blanket.

After meeting with Reo, Narumi insisted that she needed to rest, and that he would stay beside Reo. After all, they had a lot of catching up to do.

When they returned to the room, Mikan finally brought up to topic about Natsume working with the AAO. Natsume explained everything to her in detail, and it turned out that he didn't have a part to play in her mother's death.

"I feel like a huge load is lifted off my shoulder!" Mikan said energetically.

"Oi don't jump about! You haven't recovered fully!" Natsume warned her.

"Hai~ Oh yeah! Where's Iinchou and the rest?" How could even she forget for a moment? "Are they alright?"

"Yeah, in fact they will-"

"Hey Baka! How are you?" Sumire chirped while walking into the room, followed by the rest of the gang.

"Will anyone let me finish my sentence?" Natsume said with an annoyed face.

"Minna! Are you guys okay? What happened back there?"

"When Hotaru and I got there, it sure was a mess!" Ruka said.

"A mess?"

"Yeah! Sumire and the rest were taking 'care' of the AAO," Ruka looked at Sumire, "although I think Shouda was the main force."

After hearing that, Sumire blushed fifty shades of red and kept silent for a while.

Mikan sighed in relief, "Anyway I'm glad you guys are alright! I'm glad everything's over."

Everyone agreed and couldn't stop smiling after that.

"Oh yeah I want to try something with you Hotaru!"

Mikan closed her eyes and tried to focus her thoughts on Hotaru. She wondered if she could do the telepathy thing that she did with Natsume before.

Hotaru merely stared at her antics and smacked her head. "What are you trying to do?"

"Ow...Eh? Can't you hear my thoughts?"

Hotaru scoffed, "I'm an alice, not a psychic."

"Strange..."

She tried it with Natsume.

_Natsume can you hear me?_

_Hn._

It worked! But why does it work with him alone?

"You see," she explained, "I seem to be able to talk to Natsume through my mind! Right Natsume?"

"Hn."

Everyone looked confused, some even said that wasn't possible. Iinchou stood silently at the corner in deep thought, and then snapped his fingers.

"I read about this telepathy thing between alices somewhere..."

"Really? Tell me about it!"

"It is said that if two alices are true mates, they will form a bond that will tie them together. They will be able to find each other no matter what, and their minds will be linked as well."

"Ehh...That's so cool!"

Everybody was awed by the new knowledge, and then Koko spoke up. "Wait...true mates...Have you guys...uhh..."

Sumire caught on fast, "You guys had sex?!"

Mikan's face turned so red and hot that she felt like it was going to explode. If there was a hole, she would want to jump into a 100m deep one.

"I..uhh..we-!"

"Wow you two need to maintain your raging hormones!"

Feeling like she couldn't handle the teasing, she turned for help.

_Help me Natsume!_

Natsume hung his arm around her shoulders, "Now that you guys know...Shouldn't you be giving us our private time?" he smirked confidently.

"You're right you're right! Come on guys, shall we make our exit? Let's not disturb the lovebirds!" Koko said jokingly, and urged everyone to leave. The rest of them laughed along and made their way out.

Mikan pinched Natsume's arm, "Baka! You made things worse! Now I don't have any more face..."

"But now we have our private time..." he leaned his face in and gently kissed her. The gentle kiss grew in passion and heat, and it grew stronger and deeper, and soon his tongue made its entrance. Mikan could feel the electricity shoot through her body as the kiss intensified. Finally Natsume let her mouth go as both of them needed air.

"Ahh..." she moaned when he released her. She wanted more but she was ashamed to say it. Natsume smirked and whispered something in her ear, causing her to turn into a red tomato. What he said left her anticipating, and she couldn't wait to recover faster.

Reo vanished the next day when Mikan went to visit him, and Narumi merely shrugged his shoulders, saying that Reo has gone to do what he must. Mikan sort of understood that and didn't pursue the matter.

The school started undergoing repairs, and did some renovations at the same time. A few months later, there were rumours about a new organisation called Saisei, that goes around helping alices and improving the relations between humans and alices.

There were gradual changes between the two kinds and the animosity did lessen slightly.

"Ne, Natsume?"

"Hn?"

"Who do you think created Saisei?" she questioned as she held the bouquet of flowers and headed to her mother's grave. It was her mother's anniversary today and Mikan brought Natsume along to visit her.

"Who knows?"

When they reached, Mikan noticed that there was another bouquet of flowers placed on her grave.

"I wonder who visited mother." The person didn't leave his or her name on the card, but she noticed that the person gave her white lilies. _White lilies...Mother's favourite flowers. Don't tell me it's..._

"Never mind, I have an idea." She smiled to herself, _I'm sure he was the one who created Saisei too._

"Hey you guys done?" A blond guy waved with one hand, while another of his hand was interlocked with a certain raven-head.

"Ruka-pyon!"

"We're going to be late for the movie!"

"Yeah we're coming!" Mikan held Natsume's hand and pulled him along.

Coming to Gakuen Alice was the best thing that ever happened to her, and she didn't regret the choice she made when she first met Natsume. There were tough times but with her friends, family and lover, there was nothing that she couldn't overcome.

* * *

**Authoress's Note:  
**

**We've come to the end guys... Thank you so much for your support, be it in the form of reviews, favs or follows! You guys kept me going :) There may or may not be a sequel, I'm not sure yet. But there will definitely be more stories!**

**I wonder how you guys feel about this story?**

**Please review to let me know ^^**

Thanks!


End file.
